Unsupportive
by Irish American 67
Summary: Buffy and Faith are in love, but Buffy's friends and mother doesn't support them in their relationship. What will happen?
1. Chapter 1

Unsupportive

I was just checking out a bunch of Fuffy fics online, and I realized that not many of them show Buffy's friends not being supportive of their relationship. I think this is great, because, in my opinion, it means people are opening up to same-sex couples, and are beginning to support them more. BUT, I wanted to do a story where Buffy's friends and family AREN'T supportive of them. So, to make this work, Willow and Oz are together in this fic. Willow isn't gay. I basically want to see if I can accurately describe the sturggles same-sex couples go through in this type of environment, so if I have any gay or bisexual readers out there, I'd really love your input!

**Chapter 1**

(Willow's POV)

So, we just found out not a couple months ago that Buffy's 2-minute death was enough to cause the awakening of another Slayer: Kendra Young. But then, she died. Apparently, since Buffy had technically already died and awakened another Slayer, Kendra was the ACTIVE Slayer, and therefore, HER death, not Buffy's, would trigger another Slayer. And it did.

Enter: Faith Lehane. Buffy, Oz, Xander and I were walking home from the Bronze when we saw a vampire preying on some innocent in an alley. How cliche, right? Buffy ran in to save the innocent, only for someone else to beat her to it. A dark-haired girl rushed past Buffy and started wailing on the vamp mercilessly. The vamp knocked her back, almost crashing into Buffy, but the girl righted herself and borrowed Buffy's stake casually. She staked the vamp and saved the day. That's Buffy's job.

After stealing Buffy's thunder, she returned the stake and introduced herself.

"Hey, I'm Faith. The Vampire Slayer."

We all discussed it in detail with Giles and figured that Kendra's death must have awakened the next active Slayer: Faith.

Everything went smoothly for a while. Faith and Buffy worked well together, considering they barely knew each other. But then they started to figure out that their methods clashed. Faith wasn't like Buffy. She enjoyed Slaying much more than Buffy. To Buffy, being the... a Slayer was a responsibility. To Faith, it was a game.

Yet, they still remained good friends. I'll admit, I was jealous. Faith, though they were completely opposite in almost every way, understood Buffy much better than any of us could ever hope to, and that scared me. They connected big-time.

(Omniscient POV)

Faith showed up outside of Buffy's classroom during an important chemistry test. She drew a heart in the fog on the window, then a line through it representing a stake. The message was clear for Buffy.

"Wanna go stake?"

Everyone else, of course, thought it was some sort of declaration of eternal love between the two. Some guys went bug-eyed and they started drooling over the idea of two exceedingly hot lesbians. Everyone else wrinkled their noses. Even in the modern world they lived in, homosexuality was a big-time "no-no".

Willow and Xander, of course, understood the message for what it was, but they still didn't like it when Buffy got out of her chair and jumped out the window to follow the raven-haired Slayer, ditching the test.

Buffy and Faith had been growing closer and closer lately. Faith finally convinced Buffy to take a ride on the wild side, and Buffy had to admit, it actually felt good. It was... fun.

They burst into a den in the middle of the day. Half the vamps inside died instantly from exposure to the sun. Buffy and Faith staked the rest of them. Twenty vamps dead in less than ten minutes, and Buffy really enjoyed it.

Later that night, Buffy skimped on studying on suggestion of Faith, and went to the Bronze with her instead.

There was an awesome beat playing, perfect for dancing to. Faith and Buffy both flirted with many of the guys in the bar, but never really took it seriously. They were there with each other. Not like a date, more like a Girl's Night. THAT they took seriously.

They sat down a couple times, but only when the music kind of slowed to more of a slow-dance type of song. Neither Faith nor Buffy were into slow-dances. But Faith had an idea for something fun to do.

"Hey B?"

"Yeah, Faith?"

"You wanna screw with these people?"

"Okay, that's taking this 'bad girl' thing WAY too far."

"No! Screw _with_ them, not _screw_ them."

"Oh." Buffy giggled. She'd had a bit to drink, even though she was technically underage. "Whoops. That makes more sense."

"So you wanna?"

"Sure, what did you have in mind?"

"Follow my lead, B." Faith grinned wickedly. Buffy almost regretted her decision to go along with Faith. Almost.

Faith took Buffy's hand and led her out onto the dance floor during a slow song, then pulled her in close. Very close.

Faith's hands were on Buffy's waist, holding her no more than six inches away, and had Buffy put her hands on the raven's shoulders. They started swaying with the music, and smiling as they watched everyone's heads turn. They could barely stop themselves from laughing their asses off.

"Hey Faith?" Buffy said quietly where no one else could hear her.

"Yeah, B?"

"I think we should step up our game."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, everyone's watching us, but not many of them are actually reacting. Isn't that what we're trying to accomplish here?"

"Good point, what do you suggest?"

"You trust me?"

"Hell yeah. This is too much fun to not trust you."

"Okay. Grab my butt."

"Oh, good one, B." Faith smiled, and let her hands slowly slide down Buffy's waist, making a show ofit, and she sqeezed Buffy's ass gently, but made sure everyone could see it.

"Oh, come on, Faith! You're better than that! I mean _squeeze_ my ass." Buffy said in mock-disappointment.

"Your wish, my command." Faith grinned, and squeezed Buffy's butt with everything she had. That earned several gasps from the crowd. People left the dance floor, afraid of catching homosexuality.

"Okay, that worked." Buffy said with a wink.

"Okay, I got something."

"What is it?"

"Trust me?"

"Duh."

"Okay." Faith leaned in and pressed her lips to Buffy's face just to the side of her lips.

"Faith, if we're trying to make these people think we're gay for each other, don't do it half-assed." Buffy said, then kissed Faith properly. Faith was surprised, to say the least, but she got into the ruse. Their lips met furiously. Neither of them opened their mouths, but the kiss was still convincing. Security walked up to them and started to 'escort them from the premises'.

"What's this all about?" Faith asked, though she knew what it was about. Clubs like the Bronze had a very specific image they had to uphold. Gays and lesbians just didn't fit into that image, though they wouldn't come out and say that.

"Excessive... vulgarity." One of the guards said as he grabbed Faith by the wrists and started to lead her outside.

"Oh, comeon! That's bullshit, and you know it!" Faith shouted so everyone could hear it. "You're all just jealous that I got the hottest girl in here!"

Faith certainly put on a good show.

Both girls were literally thrown out of the club. Once they got to their feet and brushed themselves off, they lost it. They hit the ground again, rolling with laughter.

They continued laughing all the way to Faith's apartment, unaware that they'd even been walking in that direction.

"Oh my god! I can't believe we actually pulled that off!" Faith laughed as she fumbled with her keys. Buffy wiped a tear from her eye, she was laughing so hard.

"Right? Oh my god, did you see their faces?!" Buffy exclaimed, and they started acting it out again. "I'm just like 'Grab my ass, Faith'!" Faith grabbed Buffy's butt jokingly.

"Oh, Buffy, kiss me!" Faith laughed, and they jokingly met lips again, but this time, the strangest thing happened. They didn't want to pull away.

Their joking roughness faded, replaced by a tender gentleness they never noticed before.

Buffy's hands found their way to Faith's shoulder as Faith's ended up on Buffy's waist again. Their touch was gentle with each other. True affection in their embrace.

Their tongues danced with each other like they'd slow-danced in the club, but minus the joking. This dance was completely serious. They got lost in each other. Nothing else existed.

But then, everything existed again, and they separated, unable to believe what had just happened.

"B... What... just...?"

"I... don't... know..."

"Night." They both said simultaneously after a couple minutes' silence. Faith went inside and closed the door quickly, then just sank to the ground, banging the back of her head on the door repeatedly.

_What the hell is happening to me?_ Faith asked herself. _What does this all mean? Back in the club, when I suggested we screw with those people... I didn't expect B to go along with it. But I'd hoped. And she did. Why? Was it really a game to her? Was it really a game to me? If so, then what does that mean about... just now?_

Despite the fact that they'd both said goodnight after a very awkward moment, Buffy found herself unable to walk away. Instead, she walked up to Faith's door and hesitated.

She'd just kissed Faith. It was supposed to be a joke. Just a friendly joke, like in the club. But... then... it was _real_. Buffy could tell. She didn't just kiss Faith. She _kissed_ Faith. And Faith _kissed_ her back.

Buffy had to know what was going on. She reached up and knocked on the door.

Faith jumped when she heard the knock. She literally jumped. She was on her feet before she even really _heard _the knock.

She looked through the peephole and saw Buffy standing there.

Faith didn't open the door. She couldn't look into Buffy's eyes right now.

"What is it, B?" She asked through the door.

"Faith? What just happened?"

"I dunno. We kissed. That's all. It was a joke."_ That's right, Lehane. Tell yourself it was a joke, maybe it'll become true. But you know it won't. That kiss may have meant to be a joke, but it wasn't a joke. It was _real.

Buffy was silent on the other side of the door.

"B?" Faith asked. Silence. "B?" Still silence.

Faith looked through the peephole again and saw Buffy leaning up against the door, her face unreadable.

"Was it a joke, Faith?" Buffy asked softly.

Faith hesitated before answering.

"Wasn't it?"

"That's not an answer."

Faith sighed. "I don't know. It was supposed to be. But I'm not sure."

"It felt real, then." Buffy said. It wasn't a question.

Faith nodded, forgetting that Buffy couldn't see the nod.

Buffy didn't need to see the nod. She could feel it.

"Faith... What does this mean?"

"I don't know. I've been asking myself that."

"Can... Can I come in? I think we need to talk about this face to face." Faith didn't respond for a while. Finally, she agreed and opened the door, letting Buffy in.

"Make yourself at home." Faith said, and Buffy avoided sitting on the bed, though it was really the only place to sit. Instead, Buffy just leaned up against a wall. Faith leaned up against the wal on the opposite end of the room.

They were both silent.

Finally, Buffy spoke.

"Do you think... I mean, is it possible that... Or do we maybe...?"

"Have feelings for each other?"

Buffy nodded.

"I don't know. It doesn't make sense. It just... doesn't make sense. We're girls. Both of us are girls. Girls like guys. Guys like girls. That's the way it's always been. That's the natural order of things. It's... unnatural to... be gay."

"Normally, I'd agree with you. But... I don't know. Maybe that would make us hypocrites."

"But how do we know it wasn't just... something else? Who says that it had to mean we're into each other?"

"I don't know. It might have been a fluke. Maybe it just made us think of someone else."

"Maybe."

"But there's only one way to find out." Buffy said.

"Yeah. Guess you're right." Faith agreed. They both slowly walked around the bed and met in the middle, thought they kept at least a foot between them.

"Guess there's nothing left to do but... get it over with." Buffy said.

Faith swallowed. "Guess so." They both leaned in to kiss again, but Buffy stopped.

"What is it?" Faith asked, holding her breath."

"I don't know. What if... what if we don't like the results?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if we kiss, what if we don't feel anything?"

"Then I'd call it a close call, B."

"Maybe. Or maybe we'd be disappointed because... maybe we were hoping..."

"Maybe we're hoping we're gay?" Faith asked.

"Yeah. But then, what if we _do_ feel something? Will we wig out or be happy about it? Or what if one of us feels something but the other doesn't?!"

"B, stop overthinking it. Whatever happens, we'll deal, okay? Everything's gonna be five by five."

Buffy nodded.

They close their eyes again and started to lean in, but Buffy stopped again when she felt Faith's breath on her lips just before they met.

"What now?" Faith asked.

"I... I don't think I want to know. All we have to do is not make those jokes again in public, or in private, and everything'll be normal. Nothing'll change."

"B, you know that isn't true. We both know that some part of us is always going to wonder. It's going to kill us, B."

Buffy took a deep breath. "You're right. Let's..." Buffy motioned between them.

They once again closed their eyes and leaned in. This time, Buffy didn't stop them.

Their lips met, and the fireworks went off again, and as before, neither of them wanted to back away. They wanted more and more, and they quickly became entwined together and ended up laying down on the floor.

They pressed themselves as close to each other as they possibly could, not wanting to be separated at all. Neither of them stopped the kiss until they had to surface for air. Once they did, they didn't kiss again, but they didn't separate. They simply laid there looking into each other's eyes. Faith stroked Buffy's hair affectionately.

Neither of them could deny it. They had completely skimmed around crushing on each other, and simple attraction, and liking each other. They were in love. Star-crossed lovers.

Shakespeare defined them best.

They fell asleep in each other's arms, perfectly content, but confused. Their minds were chaotic, except when they looked into each other's eyes. And when they fell asleep, they dreamt of each other.

To be continued...

**Well, I'd really like some input from anyone who's been in this position, or knows someone who's been in this postion. It could really help with the future chapters.**


	2. Chapter 2

Unsupportive

**Chapter 2**

Faith woke up first. She didn't move away when she saw herself laying next to Buffy. For some reason, the way they were holding each other, Faith felt... happy. It felt... comforting.

_What the hell happened last night?_ Faith wondered. She stared at Buffy, and even through the confusion, Faith found herself smiling. Then, she remembered it all. _Get some, get gone, my ass._ Faith thought to herself, and kissed Buffy on the forehead.

Faith felt truly happy right now, which is something she couldn't normally say.

Faith thought back to her childhood. Living in Boston, with her mom.

_An old, crappy, beat-down old apartment. Yellow walls and ceiling from cigarette smoke and nicotine. There was obviously black mold somewhere in the apartment, but Faith couldn't figure out where, but she could smell it. If Faith took a blacklight and held it up to any section of wall, or over any piece of furniture, even Faith's own bed, she had to run to the bathroom and puke. But then she'd realize she'd accidentally brought the blacklight with her, and she'd see the violet light bathing the toilet she was hovering over, and the sink, and the shower, and the floor she was sitting on, and the walls, and somehow, even the ceiling, and another wave of vomit would stream forth._

_ Her mom came home from work early. That lady worked hard to earn this apartment. She worked two jobs. During the daytime, she bagged groceries at some grocery store. Faith never knew which one, she'd never even bothered to ask. It barely paid the rent, so that was why her mom got the second job. She wouldn't say exactly what it was, but Faith knew. Her mom was a prostitute._

_ Her mom came home from working her grocery bagger job early. That wasn't good, especially concidering her mom always worked overtime so she could pay the bills. Plus, her mom came home from working her first job. That never happened. She slept until about nine in the morning, then headed to the grocery store to work. She'd work until eight in the evening, sometimes until 8:30 if she hit overtime, then head straight to her corner to work it. She'd get one or two guys to pick her up throughout the night, and then come home at about 3:00 in the morning and pass out in bed._

_ Faith was grateful for this second job, because one, it kept them in a home, even such a shithole as this, but also becaus eit meant she never had to see her mom, since she was gone to school by 7:00 in the morning, two full hours before her mom got up. If her mom ever got any time alone with her, she'd beat her. Beat her for ruining her life. _

_ "I had a life before you came along!" She'd scream, and smack Faith. "I was going to a decent community college, but then I had to drop out so I could pay to take care of you!" _

_ Smack!_

_ "I even had a good man! But he weren't gonna stay around with no pregnant woman!" _

_ Smack!_

_ "I had friends, but they couldn't be seen with a fat lady!"_

_ Smack! Smack! Smack!_

_ Over time, Faith got used to it all. She even started turning into her mother. Violence. Smoking. Drinking. And sex. Lots and lots of sex. It was how she coped with everything. Physical exertion helped her deal, and the drinking and smoking lowered her inhibitions enough to get into everything. Eventually, she didn't need the cigareetes and alcohol, but by then, she was so used to it all, she refused to quit. She even got into drugs for a while, but that all changed when _he_ showed up._

_ She was seventeen. Something had just happened to her. Her dealer was having his boys rough her up because she hadn't the money to pay him with, but then something changed. She was punched inthe face, and it stung, but it didn't really _hurt_. She jumped back and punched one of the guys back. He flew backwards and slammed into the wall on the other side of the alley._

_ The others saw that and backed off, even the dealer._

_ "Okay, okay. You know what?" He said softly and calmly. "I don't need the money. Money's not important, you know? Just so long as I make... people feel good, you know?" The coward and the lackeys that weren't unconscious ran away just as a very well-dressed woman turned into the alley. She looked around and rolled her eyes._

_ "Why can't the Slayer ever live in a nice neighbourhood? It's always such an abyssmal, disgusting place like this. Oh well, nevermind that. I take it you're the Slayer?" The lady spke with a British accent._

_ "What?" Faith asked._

_ "The Slayer. I take it you are she?"_

_ "Huh?"_

_ "Superhuman strength and speed? Reflexes beyond what you usually have?"_

_ "Um... yeah?"_

_ "Very good then, let's get you out of here. We shall need to pay your mother a visit first, of course, gather what few belongings you may have."_

_ "What? I ain't goin' nowhere with you. I don't go nowhere with strange people."_

_ "I think you misunderstand my purpose here. I intend to take you away from here. Away from this..." The lady dragged her finger along the wall of the building to her left, then wiped her hand on a handkerchief. She took off her glasses and started to clean them, but thought better of it and threw the handkerchief off to the side. "This filth." She finished._

_ "What d'ya mean?"_

_ "You're a very special girl, Miss...?"_

_ "Faith. Faith Lehane." For some reason, she felt like she could trust this woman._

_ "Very well then, Faith it is. You're a very special girl, Faith. The Slayer. You have a very hard, not very rewarding future ahead of you, I won't lie. But... You will be able to get away from all of this. And away from your abusive mother." She correctly guessed._

_ "Hell, do I get to beat shit up?"_

_ "Well, yes... in a manner of speaking."_

_ "Hell, I'm sold." She followed the stranger out of the alley. She told her all about vampires and demons, and what role she was to play in the grand scheme of things. She was completely and brutally honest with her. Even when she told her it wasn't likely she'd make it even to her eighteenth birthday._

_ But she also told the truth when she said she was taking Faith away from there. She told her to pack up whatever she had in whatever she had to pack it up with while she spoke to her mom. In her room, she listened to the conversation between the woman and her mom, even as she worked to pack everything up._

_ "Congradulations, Mrs. Lehane. You're free of your terrible burden of a daughter."_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "I'm taking your daughter."_

_ "Like Hell you are! She's gonna get a job tomorrow and start helping put food on the table!"_

_ "No, I'm afraid she's not. See, she has a calling, and it's very important she listens to this calling."_

_ "Bullshit!" Faith her something break as her mother tried to attack the lady. She ran out to see the commotion, only to see the woman had her mom's arms pinned behind her back. Neither of them noticed Faith._

_ "Listen to me, you disgusting offense to humankind! In just the short time I have spoken to Faith, I have come to realize that which you, after seventeen years have not yet seen! She is a very intelligent, special little girl, and I shall not let you raise a hand to her ever again, is that clear?!"_

_ When she didn't answer, she raised her arms, and she cried out in pain._

_ "Yes!" She screamed._

_ Very calmly and quietly, the woman added, "Good. Now, I am setting her free from this life. I have a lovely house outside this city, and she is coming to live with me. I can give her something you never could, and that is a warm, caring environment to live in. I am going to teach her to respect herself, as well as others, and I will damn well make sure she cleans up, and that she never has to see the likes of you again! You should damn well be grateful you ever knew her at all."_

_ Her mother saw Faith standing in the hall way, and smirked._

_ "I see, so she's your little whore now, is she? You gonna take her to bed, and let her be your little bitch?" She cried in pain as the woman lifted her arms again, her eyes red with rage._

_ "You are, from this moment, until the moment we leave, not allowed to speak. I do not want to hear a single word come from your vile mouth. Do you understand?"_

_ "Yes!" She raised her arms again, and her shoulders nearly popped out of their sockets._

_ "I said not a word!" The lady growled, and released her. She toppled to the floor, whimpering. She straightened her suit and looked up at Faith._

_ "All set?" She asked casually, as if nothing had happened, and Faith simply nodded._

_ That was the only time she saw the lady act that way. She was kind and caring, but she was in for more than she bargained for when it came to cleaning Faith up. _

_And to think... All that bad shit I went through back then._ Faith looked back down at Buffy. _It all lead me to be here. With her._

She leaned over and kissed Buffy softly on the lips, and the blonde stirred.

She moaned. "Morninfaith." She mumbled with a smile, and kissed Faith back.

"Mornin' B." They kissed again. And again. And again. They couldn't get enough of each other's lips.

They lay there for two hours, simply staring into each other's eyes and kissing periodically.

Reluctantly, Faith had to get up and start some coffee.

"Faith, do you mind if I take a shower?" Buffy asked, stretching.

"Go ahead." Faith said, and pictured Buffy in the shower. The thought brought a smile to her face, and the smile faded in surprise as Buffy spoke again.

"You wanna join me?" Buffy asked seriously. The thought brought an image to Faith's mind of the two of them having hot, steamy shower sex, and Faith was instantly aroused.

She played it cool, though. "Yeah, sure. Save water and stuff. I'll be there in just a minute. Lemme just finish starting the coffee brewing."

"Okay. Hurry up, though."

"Will do." Buffy retreated into the bathroom and started pacing. She was nervous. Very nervous.

They only just realized their feelings for each other, what if Faith saw her naked, and decided that it was all just a fluke after all? What if Faith was no longer attracted to her when she saw her with no clothes on?

Never knowing that Faith was on the other side of the door, having those same worries.

They both made up their minds at the same time, and Faith walked into the bathroom. They stood together, looking each other over.

"Um... I... I'll go first... if you want." Buffy suggested.

Faith shook her head no. She had always been the initiator. She's the one that dragged guys to bed, had her way with them, then sent them away. It was what she knew. Obviously, she wasn't going to follow through on the second to, but she was definitely "first move" girl.

Faith started unzipping her dress from the night before, and Buffy's breath caught as that material loosened around Faith's shoulders, then fell away completely, leaving Faith in a black bra and matching black panties.

Faith's arms hung down by her sides in anticipation, but she relaxed when she saw Buffy's reaction. She saw the arousal in Buffy's eyes and knew she had nothing to worry about. She smiled as she grabbed Buffy's wrists and pulled her in close.

She kissed the blonde as she dragged Buffy's hands up her back and let them rest on her bra clasp while she reached around to find Buffy's zipper. Buffy was too stunned to react, but then she took the hint and undid Faith's bra. She slowly slipped it off of the raven-haired Slayer and stared down at Faith's breasts, and felt her heart skip a beat.

She was vaguely aware of her dress sliding down her body, but she was so caught up in staring at Faith, she even forgot to take off Faith's panties.

When the fog lifted from Buffy's mind, she suddenly found herself completely bare, Faith having already removed Buffy's bra and panties, waiting for Buffy to finish the job she started.

Buffy was encouraged when she saw the desire in Faith's eyes, knowing that Faith still wanted her was an amazingly huge relief. She kept staring into Faith's eyes as she slowly dropped to her knees in front of her and hooked her fingers under the waistband of Faith's panties.

Faith's eyes grew wide at the sight of the blonde on her knees, at eye level with Faith's sex as her panties met the floor.

Buffy teasingly kissed Faith directly above her sex and slowly, agonizingly kissed her way up Faith's body, finally capturing Faith's lips with her own and throwing her arms around her neck, pulling her in for a deep, passionate kiss.

Their bodies met, pressed firmly against each other, and they moaned as their cores met in the middle.

Faith was using all her willpower to not push Buffy up against the wall and take her then and there. She knew the blonde was more of a "three dates" type of girl, and she didn't want to scare her away. She knew Buffy wouldn't fight her right now, they were both way too aroused. But she knew she'd respect her a lot more if Faith didn't give in right away.

Buffy ground her hips into Faith forcefully, showing just how much she want- no, _needed_ her.

Faith pushed Buffy away, a little more roughly than she intended, and Buffy felt reality come rushing back.

"Huh?" Was all she could say.

"B... Take it easy, please. You have no idea how much I want you right now. I don't think I can resist again if you do that again."

"Then don't. Give in." Buffy pleaded.

"No. I'm done being 'one-night stand' girl."

"I get that. This is real!" Buffy begged.

"I know that, B. But..."

"But you just don't want me." Buffy's world shattered.

"No!" Faith shouted. "God, I want you. I need you so bad. But, you'll never forgive me if I let this happen right now. We haven't even officially decided we want to give..." Faith motioned between them, still gasping for air. "_this _a try yet."

"Okay, I vote yes."

"Me too."

"Then take me." Buffy panted, throwing herself at Faith again.

"No! B, I know you. You're the 'three dates' type of girl."

"But you're not, and I don't want to be right now."

"But you are that type, and I want to try and respect that."

Buffy didn't say a word. She just nodded.

"Okay." She agreed, and it was damn hard to agree, especially looking at Faith's perfect, un-scarred body. The bruises and scars from Boston so long ago had faded, Slayer healing even removing the most recent scars from patrols.

"Just tell me one thing, B." Faith said, finally having caught her breath.

"What?"

"Does... In your mind, and I want you to be honest, not just 'cause you want me. In your mind, does last night, at the Bronze. Does it count? As a... you know, as a date?"

Buffy thought for several minutes, then came to a conclusion neither of them liked.

"No." She said, and both of their shoulders dropped.

"Fine." Faith said. "Then tomorrow night, I want to take you on a proper date."

"Why not tonight?"

"Because I don't think I could stand being near you tonight so soon after _this_, and not be able to touch you how I want to touch you. Tomorrow might be better. I want to do this properly. Three dates. Three real dates, and then we'll fuck like rabbits, deal?" Faith offered.

"Deal. But promise me one thing."

"What?"

"After the third date. The night of, that is. Promise me neither of us are going to get any sleep at all that night."

"Oh, you can count on that." Faith smirked.

They got in the shower, refusing to look at each other, knowing if they saw each other so close, water running over their naked bodies, they'd lose all control and the three dates would be out the window. They were in and out quickly, dried off and got dressed, drank the entire pot of coffee in silence, knowing even their voices at that moment would make them lose control, and Buffy hurried home.

As soon as Buffy was gone, Faith threw herself on her bed and screamed into her pillow in frustration.

Buffy had been _right there!_ She could have taken her and had her way with her, and neither of them would have regretted it, she knew it. She told herself Buffy wouldn't have been able to forgive her only to justify saying no. In truth, Buffy wouldn't have cared, and Faith knew it.

Faith was banging her head up against the wall.

Then, when she felt her head had been sufficiently banged, she lay down on the bed and took her clothes off again.

She parted her thighs slightly and didn't hesitate to slide two of her fingers inside herself and start pounding away.

She came instantly, but was nowhere near satisfied.

She continued to pump herself, her left hand setting to work on her breasts, pinching, tweaking, rolling her nipples, massaging her breasts, and meeting every one of her right hand's thrusts with a thrust of her hips.

She built up a steady rhythm, fast and hard, and stuck to it, faltering only when she reached her second orgasm.

Yet she still wasn't satisfied.

She reached into her drawer and pulled out something she hadn't needed since she was living with her previous Watcher, where she had forbidden her from having sex with any guys, and was actually able to enforce it. She pulled out a large black vibrator and slowly slid it inside herself.

She gasped at the feeling, and adjusted to the size. She hadn't yet met one guy with a member as large as this, and was actually very disappointed by the fact.

After only a moment's pause, she turned it on, and moaned as the vibrations sent tidal waves of pleasure coursing through her, and she grabbed the toy and started moving it in and out of herself slowly, small movements, as even small movements were leaving her writhing in pleasure.

She imagined it was Buffy holding the vibrator, pushing it in and out of her, and Faith groaned loudly as the image caused her to speed up more.

"Fuck!" She whispered, and her insides started throbbing, humming.

Usually, when Faith came, her walls would clench down, she would ride her orgasm out, and it would be over. But his time, her walls pulsed. They clenched slightly, and relaxed, and clenched a little harder, then relaxed again.

Through this powerful build up, Faith increased her tempo steadily, each thrust pushing herself closer and closer to the edge beyond the edge, until she finally fell over it, and screamed in ecstasy as her walls finally clenched harder and harder, not relaxing at all, and she was left paralyzed, the vibrator still humming away inside her.

Her sex didn't relax for another five minutes, and even when it did, it remained partially clenched as she slowly slid the toy out of herself. Small movements were required, as the toy barely budged at all, and she gasped with each jolt.

She dropped the vibrator to the side of the bed and lay there, barely able to move at all, and suddenly couldn't wait for tomorrow night.

[...]

Buffy got home around 6:00am. She and Faith had woken up around 4:00am. It was still early, but her mom and Dawn were already up.

** Yes, I put Dawn in already, even though she didn't actually show up until Glory arrived in the series, but to be fair, the monks gave Buffy memories of Dawn being there all along, so this is actually kind of following that theory, so there! I'm not actually breaking any rules!**

"Hello, Buffy." Her mom said angrily.

"Hello Mommy." Buffy said nervously.

_Does she know? Do I smell like Faith?!"_

"Is there something you want to tell me, young lady?"

Dawn was smirking behind her, so Buffy knew she was definitely in trouble.

"No. Nothing I _want_ to tell you."

"I can't believe you would just skip class like that to go hang out with one of your friends! And in the middle of a test, nonetheless!"

_Phew! Thought she was onto me there for a second._

"You know what? You're right. I'm sorry, Mom. It won't happen again. There was just this really awesome group playing at the Bronze last night, and Faith and I had to go shopping first, so we did. I'll retake the test tomorrow in detention."

"Good." Her mom said, surprised.

"That all?" Buffy asked after a moment's silence.

"No, you're also grounded for a week. No going out with your friends, and I'm afraid Faith will have to take over the patrols for this week." Buffy's mom said matter-of-factly.

"Mom! That's so unfair!" Buffy shouted.

"Now that's what I like to hear!" Joyce yelled back and walked into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.

Buffy stormed back up to her room and slammed the door loudly.

_Great! How am I supposed to go on that date with Faith if I'm grounded?!_ Buffy asked herself angrily. She threw herself down on her bed and lay there, steaming.

An hour later, she heard a knock on the front door, and Dawn went to open it.

"Oh. Hi Faith." Dawn said, and Buffy smiled as her heart skipped a beat just hearing Faith's name. "Are you okay?" Dawn asked, and she sounded worried. Buffy sprang from the bed and ran to her door just in time to hear Faith say:

"Yeah, I'm fine. Is B home?"

"Yeah, she's upstairs sulking."

"Why?" Faith asked, suddenly dreading the answer.

_Is B angry at me for turning her down like that?!_

"She's grounded. For skipping class with you and staying out all night."

"Oh. Okay." Buffy could hear the relief in Faith's voice. But also quite a bit of disappointment. "Well, is the warden permitting visitors?" Faith asked, and Dawn giggled. Dawn always had liked Faith.

"Well, yes, but you have to fill out a form, and then the security has to pat you down and check anything you brought with you, make sure you're not trying to smuggle any weapons or tools to her. Then there's this whole six-month waiting list. It's a whole process. It's a thing. And her sentence is up after a week, so you'd be better off just waiting until then."

"A week?" Buffy also heard the frustration in her voice.

"Yup."

Faith went to look for Buffy's mom.

After about ten minutes, Dawn showed up, with Faith behind her.

"Miss Summers, you have an excellent lawyer. Miss Lehane just got you parole." Dawn said, continuing the prison metaphor.

"Really?!" Buffy asked and, in her excitement, jumped off the bed and embraced Faith. She almost kissed her in front of Dawn, which the thirteen-year-old did not fail to notice.

Dawn's eyes grew wide as she saw Buffy's lips accidentally graze Faith's, then Buffy flinched back.

"Uh..." Dawn said, then fell silent, her mouth still open.

Faith jokingly put her hand under Dawn's chin and closed her mouth for her.

"I stumbled a bit, Dawn, get over it, it happens. I'm just excited."

Dawn accepted that excuse, but then noticed Buffy's hand on Faith's butt, which neither Faith nor Buffy had noticed yet. It wasn't just resting there, either, she was squeezing.

Dawn made her little "mm-hmm" face and made a point of looking at Buffy's hand, and Buffy suddenly realized she was squeezing Faith's ass in front of Dawn.

Faith suddenly noticed it to, and both she and Buffy both blushed.

"Guess the jig's up, B." She said.

"Guess so." Buffy whispered.

"Thank god." Faith said, then drew Buffy in for a deep kiss. Buffy didn't even try to resist, she kissed Faith back, and Dawn's jaw hit the floor again.

Finally, the two separated and glanced back over at Dawn, who regained herself.

"So I take it you two want me to keep this quiet, then?" Dawn asked.

"It would be appreciated." Faith said.

"Hold on, Faith." Buffy said, then glared at Dawn. "What do you want?"

Dawn smiled. "I only want my older sister to be happy." She said sweetly and batted her eyelids.

"How's fifty bucks sound?" Buffy asked.

"Hold on, I _really_ want my sister to be happy."

"You know, Little Bit," Faith said, "you'd make quite the con girl."

"Don't give her any ideas." Buffy warned. "How about seventy-five?"

"I _really really_ want my older sister to be happy."

"Seventy-five and I'll get you that new _Cher_ CD you've been begging mom for."

"Deal!" Dawn squeaked. Buffy rolled her eyes and fished seventy-five dollars out of her purse and handed it over to my sister.

Dawn grinned and ran away.

"See what you mean to me?" Buffy asked Faith.

"Glad to know I'm worth eighty-five bucks to you."

"Well, actually, those CD's sell so well, they're worth twenty bucks, not ten. And I would have paid her two hundred, anyway, if she kept 'negotiating'."

Faith kissed her. "So you'd leave me for $201?"

"Not a chance. It'd take at least $202." Buffy joked. "Besides, considering I only have a hundred-fifty, two hundred is a pretty good price."

"Had. You _had_ a hundred-fifty."

"Ugh, don't remind me." They laughed, and went downstairs so Buffy could thank her mom for seeing reason.

"Don't thank me." Joyce said. "Thank Faith. If she hadn't told me about that new super-evil you guys are trying to fight, I would never have budged."

"New...?" Buffy looked at Faith, who had maneuvered around behind Joyce so she could shake her head no in warning.

"Oh! Right! The..." Buffy looked around for some help. She spotted tonight's supper being cooked: potato soup.

She saw carrots, potatoes and onions sitting on the cutting board with ten cans of Tomato sauce on the counter.

"The Carro... tato... nio... mato Demon! The Karotatonyomahto Demon!" Buffy blurted, and Faith face-palmed.

"Well, Buffy, I'm glad you're taking at least _some_ of your studies seriously, though I wish you'd take your academic studies as seriously as your Slayer studies." Joyce said. "So, what's a Care-oh-tay-toe-nyoh-mah-toe Demon?" Joyce sounded out slowly.

"Good job, Mrs. S!" Faith high-fived Joyce for pronouncing it correctly.

"Um... It's a... a demon. Who... likes to... dice... people up... and boil them." Buffy nodded for effect, and Faith rolled her eyes.

"Ooh." Joyce groaned. "Just be careful, please, Buffy?"

"Will do, Mom. Love you." Buffy said, and she and Faith left.

"Oh, and Buffy, you have a curfew now until your... 'probation', as Dawn put it, is up. I want you back in this house by 7:30 every night until I say otherwise." Buffy's mom said.

"Okay." Buffy groaned.

"Well, we'd just better hope she doesn't keep this parole thing up long, B." Faith said, equally disappointed. "Otherwise, our sleepless night will be a whole lot less sleepless and a lot more sleeping alone." Faith said

"Yeah." Buffy agreed.

To be continued...

**Well, here's chapter 2, I'm still waiting on reviews, so I'd really appreciate more people weighing in!**


	3. Chapter 3

Unsupportive

**Chapter 3**

Buffy and Faith both seemed very happy when they walked into the library. If it was just Buffy, Willow wouldn't have thought anything of it, Buffy's emotions were always up and down and side to side, and all around the emotional globe. But Faith? Faith only had one emotion, and it was one unique specifically to her. Willow called it Faith-iness. It was kind of like a cross between angry, broody, happy, sad, and bored with a calm mask covering it. Yet, Faith was so obviously happy. No anger, no sadness, no brooding, not bored, and no calm mask, just plain happy.

Buffy happy... plus Faith obviously happy... plus walking in at the same time... plus their inability to be more than two feet away from each other the entire time their in the library... It hit Willow like a wrecking ball.

Willow ran up to them worriedly.

"Oh my god! You two got hit with some kind of spell!" Willow blurted out, and Buffy and Faith started backing up.

"What?" Buffy asked. "Where'd it come from?" She started looking around for the source.

"I don't know, I thought you did."

"Well, how would you know if we got hit by a spell if you didn't see the spell cast?"

"Well, you two walked in at the exact same time, Faith is happy, and you two won't get more than two feet away from each other!"

"Oh... Right. That." Buffy looked to Faith for help, so Faith, naurally, decided to tease her.

"Yeah, that's the effect of the Karotatonyomahto demon." Faith said with a sideways glance at Buffy.

"The what?" Willow asked.

"Yeah. It's the new 'big bad' sitch, apparently. It likes to cut people up and boil them, and it gets more victims by getting them together and casting a spell that doesn't allow them to get very far away from each other. Makes them unable to run away that way." Faith joked, but Willow didn't catch the joke.

"Does Giles know?"

"Nah. Only Slayers can see it. There it is!" Faith shouted and pointed to an empty corner of the room suddenly. Willow whipped around quickly to see it, forgetting she wouldn't be able to see it.

Faith laughed, and Willow looked back at her in bewilderment.

"How can you be laughing when a demon's about to kill us all?!"

"Will!" Buffy said. "Faith's joking. She's teasing me."

"What?"

"Yeah. I got grounded for skipping class and staying out all night last night, so Faith talked my mom down and said there was a new big bad in town, and we were trying to fight it. I panicked and called it the... What's it called, again, Faith?"

"The Karotatonyomato demon." Faith laughed again.

"Right, that. She's making fun of me. Which reminds me, Will, if my mom asks what we're doing, we're fighting the... that thing."

"Right." Willow agreed. "I think I'll use that one, too. Sadly, my mom's actually been taking an interest in my life lately. Apparently, she's bored or something. Since she already knows about the witchy stuff, and that I'm friends with the Slayer, I can use big bads to get out of doing chores!" Willow grinned like she was a genius, which she actually was.

"Right, well, guess we're all in league." Buffy said.

"Well, that's all very interesting, but might I ask _why_ you two are so chipper, if not as a result of some spell?" Giles asked, and the girls all jumped. They hadn't even noticed him standing there.

"Whoa, Giles, you're very sneaky, you know? I didn't even notice you walking up!" Buffy said.

"That's because I didn't walk up. I've been here since you two showed up. But then, I've always known I'm invisible to you younger people."

"Right. Sorry, Giles."

"So why are you two so chipper?"

"Is it really so unusual that we have a good day?" Buffy asked, as if she was offended. But then she thought. "Wait! Don't answer that. I know the answer. Hellmouth equals no good days, ever. What I mean is it it really that unusual for us to actually be happy for a few seconds?"

"For you, no. For Faith, yes. Very much so."

"He's got us there, B." Faith said.

"True. Okay, what is this, the Spanish Inquizition?" Buffy asked.

"No, I'm merely inquiring as to where the real Faith Lehane has been stored away in order for this imposter to assume her identity and take her place in our lives." Giles looked at Willow like he'd just told a hilarious joke. Buffy and Faith looked at her with a blank expression.

"I think he means 'who are you, and what have you done with Faith?'." Willow translated, and Faith and Buffy nodded in understanding.

"Thanks, Will." Buffy said.

"Just think of me as your handy 'Giles-to-normal-human-beings-translator'." Willow said proudly. Giles just cleaned his glasses.

"And for your information..." Faith looked at Giles, then Willow, "and yours, I'm happy because for the first time in... well, ever, I actually got a good night's sleep last night. Plus, B and I had a lot of fun last night."

"What did you do?" Willow asked.

"We went dancing at the Bronze together." Buffy said.

"We got thrown out of the Bronze for dancing together." Faith added, and both of them chuckled.

"What?" Willow asked.

"Yeah. They've got a strict 'no shirt, no shoes, no lezbos' policy." Buffy said, and chuckled at Willow and Giles' horrified expressions. "Relax, guys. We just made everyone _think_ we were gay so we could see their reactions,and they totally reacted the way we thought they would."

Willow and Giles relaxed visibly, but Willow was still a little nervous, and she flinched when Buffy moved towards her slightly.

"Relax, Will! I don't like girls." Buffy said. _I like girl. Singular. Faith. No plural._

"Same here." Faith added, knowing exactly what Buffy was thinking.

"Are you sure?" Willow asked.

"Positive." Both of the Slayers asked.

Just then, Xander walked in.

"Hey guys." he said. "Faith, why so... not Faithy?"

"Faithy?" Faith asked.

"Yeah, it's what Will and I call your usual mask of calmness to cover whatever your feeling."

"Oh." Faith said, obviously annoyed, and not putting on her "Faithiness".

"So? Why so un-Faithy?" Xander asked.

"You tell 'im, Red." Faith said. "I'm not explainin' it again."

"Faith and Buffy pretended to be gay last night to see if they'd get thrown out of the Bronze. It worked. Apparently, they thought it was fun, so Faith's happy, not Faithy."

"Gotcha." Xander said, and obviously had a mental image in his head.

Willow walked up to him. "Earth to Xander. From now on, when someone even mentions Buffy and Faith's name in the same sentence, you're going to picture Giles naked." Willow joked, and Giles spewed tea across the library.

"Bloody hell! Don't say that, Willow! It's not funny in the least." He yelled.

"I gotta agree with Giles, Will." Buffy said, and Faith agreed. So did Xander, especially since it ruined his lovely mental image of Faith and Buffy dancing... no, in bed... no, in the shower together.

But Willow thought it was hilarious. Mainly because she was used to ugly mental images by now, having known Xander all her life.

"Faith and Buffy." Willow said, and Xander started trying to gouge his eyes out with his fingers.

"Aw, come on, Will!" Xander said. Willow laughed and walked away.

"You're evil, Red." Faith said with a grin. "I like that in a woman." She added seductively, and Willow shifted nervously.

Faith laughed too, and Buffy scolded her.

"Oh Faith, that's not nice. Apologize to Willow." Buffy said, knowing exactly where Faith would take it.

"Yes, mistress. I'm sorry Willow." Faith said, and Willow stood up, holding herself nervously. Xander's mental image of Buffy and Faith together returned, as did Willow's warning, and he started gouging his eyes out again.

"See, B? Now we can get them both at the same time." Faith said, and the two high-fived.

"That is totally barbaric." Giles muttered to himself as he started cleaning his glasses again.

"Oh, hey, Will, I'm going to re-take that chemistry test tomorrow before school. Could you come over tonight and help me study?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy! That's enough! It's not funny." Willow said.

"Um, what's not?"

"The whole, trying-to-seduce-Willow joke!"

"Oh!" Buffy laughed again. "Actually, I was being serious. I really need help studying for the test. I was going to re-take it today,but then I blew off studying last night to go hang out woth Faith." Xander started banging his head on a table. Now hearing talk about Buffy trying to seduce Willow, and even Buffy mentioning Faith's name was giving him bad Giles-images.

"Oh. Okay then, sure." Willow said sheepishly.

"Thanks, Will, you're a life-saver." Buffy said and hugged Willow, who flinched still, but only just barely.

Buffy turned to leave,and Faith started to follow, but then, as an afterthought, turned back towards Willow.

"Stay away from my girl." Faith said, an edge in her voice, and Willow looked horrified again, until Faith smiled and started laughing again. She wiped a tear from her eye and followed Buffy out of the library.

They went all the way to the girls' bathroom... right next to the library.

"That was hilarious, B. Who should we hit next?" Faith asked.

"I don't know, Faith. Yeah, it was kind of funny, but I feel bad about it now." Buffy said, pacing back and forth.

Faith's smile faded. "Okay. Then we won't do it anymore."

"Well... maybe only on strangers. Not friends."

"Deal." The corner of Faith's mouth turned up in a half-smile.

"Good." Buffy pulled Faith in for a quick kiss that turned out to be not so quick as they became hungrier and hungrier for each other.

And then they heard a gasp, and turned to see Willow standing in the doorway to the bathroom, more horrified than she'd been in the library, when they were joking.

Everyone was silent, and the air was tense around them. No one moved.

"Faith?" Willow asked. "And Buffy? Fuffy?!"

"Willow, just calm-" Buffy took a step forward, and Willow backed up.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Willow accidentally shouted. Luckily, there was no one in the hall. "My best friend... Buffy... Faith, what have you done to her?!" Willow asked, tears in her eyes.

"What've I done to her? I didn't do anything!" Faith said angrily.

"You... You turned her into... some kind of... of..."

"Lesbian?" Faith asked, her anger becoming more and more evident.

"Yes!"

"Actually, Will, I think we actually turned each other." Buffy corrected calmly.

"Stay out of this, please, B." Faith said. "She's accusing _me_. I'll take care of it."

"But-"

"Please."

Buffy nodded.

"Listen up, Red. She may be into me, but I'm just as into her. I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to her, so if that's what you're worried about, great, least you don't have to worry. But if it's actually the whole 'lesbian' thing... I guarantee Buffy wouldn't have wigged out on you like this if it was you who was gay, not her."

"Well, yeah, because she's gay, too!"

"Even if she wasn't! You're her best fucking friend! She wouldn't treat you like shit just because you're gay!" Faith got to thinking. "Wait... what do you mean 'she's gay too'? You said 'too'. What do you mean by 'too'?"

Willow looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She didn't answer.

Buffy put two and two together and got... nothing.

"Faith, what are you talking about?" Buffy asked.

Faith didn't really need an answer, somehow, she just knew it. "Willow's gay, too." She told Buffy, who gasped.

"Willow...? Is... is it true?"

Willow's tears started flowing more freely now as she nodded yes.

"Will? Why'd you freak out, then?" Buffy asked, slightly angry.

"You said she wouldn't wig out if she found out I was gay!" Willow said accusingly to Faith.

"I'm not wigging out because you're gay." Buffy corrected. "So don't you _dare_ take this out on her."

Buffy's tone was cold, and it scared Willow.

"But then-"

"I'm pissed because you go and freak out on me because you found out I'm gay when you are, too."

"Well... I... just..."

"Just what, Willow?"

Willow sobbed and ran away.

"That went well." Faith said angrily.

"Yeah." Buffy agreed.

Buffy ran after Willow. Faith just stayed behind, knowing this was between them.

"Willow!" Buffy shouted once they were outside.

Willow stopped and looked at Buffy.

"Oz." Buffy said.

"What?"

"Oz. What about Oz?" **(Yes, I know Oz doesn't leave until they're already in college in the series, but for the purposes of this story, he's already gone.)**

"Oz... He's gone. What about him?"

"You were in love with him. And Xander. What about him? You liked Xander, too."

"Yeah, well, I've got one word for you, Buffy. Well, a name, actually. Angel."

"Don't go there, Will. Please."

"You cried your eyes out when you woke up after losing your virginity to him, and he was gone. And again when you found out he lost his soul because of it. And you couldn't even kill him when he killed Ms. Calendar. You only killed him when he got his soul back right after he woke that demon up, and you killed Angel to stop it. You were in love with him. What changed for you?"

"Faith did. She showed up, and I think I was in... I liked her from the moment I saw her."

"So you're in love with Faith." It wasn't a question.

"I didn't say that. I said I like her."

"But you started to say 'in love'. You're in love with her."

"B?" Buffy turned quickly to see Faith walking up.

"Faith."

"I started to stay put back there, let you handle it, but then I thought maybe you'd take it too far. You were pretty pissed. So I came up here, see if I needed to help cool you down a bit."

"Faith."

"So... You... You're... in love... with... me?" Faith asked. She was shaking with... well, she didn't actually know what it was. Anticipation, fear, anger, she couldn't tell.

"Faith."

"Yeah. Faith. So you're... in love... with Faith?" Faith asked again.

Buffy looked back and forth between Faith, Willow and the ground.

"I think Faith would like an answer." Willow said, glad to have a change of subject.

"Faith... I... um..."

"That's just like you, B."

"What?"

"Not even a full day, and you've already decided you're in love with me." Faith said, her body was still shaking.

"Faith, you're freaking out." Buffy said. She felt like the world was going to shatter seeing it.

"Damn right, I'm freaking out. I mean, I've never had a girl actually say they were in love with me. I've had a lot of firsts these past few hours, and it's all starting to catch up to me now. I don't know, I just think maybe I'm just not used to this fast a pace. Or any pace at all, really, never been in a real relationship before. Which is one of the firsts that's freaking me out. I mean, first time dancing with a girl last night. First time kissing a girl last night. First time sleeping with someone, I mean actually _sleeping_ with someone last night. Normally, it's just get some, get gone for me. I always sleep alone, never holding someone like that. First time seeing a girl naked besides myself this morning. First time sharing a shower with someone, and not fooling around in it. First time agreeing to actually _date_ someone, but especially a girl. First time wanting someone the way I want you right now. First time turning down someone who's throwing himself, or herself, at me when I'm horny. Now you want to throw in first time, well, really _anyone's_ ever said they love me... Not even any guys have ever said that. It... It's just too... new."

Faith was pacing back and forth, breath coming in quick, short pants. Her hands were shaking worse and worse with each Buffy couldn't do or say anything. Words... movements... they eluded her. It was like she was paralyzed.

"Granted, a lot of those firsts are firsts for you, too. Like all that stuff about specifically being with a girl. But you've dated before. You've slept beside someone before. You've been in love before, and you've had someone say 'I love you' before. And you've probably taken a shower with someone before, and actually showered, right?"

Buffy nodded.

"That's what I thought." Faith said, still pacing, still shaking. "So yeah, I'm freaking out!" Faith grabbed her left hand with her right in an effort to stop them both from shaking.

"Faith, I'm sorry." Buffy whispered, and walked up behind Faith to hug her.

Faith instantly felt better as she felt Buffy's arms around her, and she smiled.

Willow watched the display from the sidelines, jealous, but also happy. The truth was, she had been in love with Oz. Deeply. Truly. And him leaving because he didn't want to hurt Willow anymore hurt her more than it would have if he'd attacked her. It killed her. She felt herself die over and over again every time she thought of it. That is, she used to. But something happened for her. Someone was there to help her, to comfort her. Someone who understood what it felt like to lose somene they loved. Buffy was still grieving over Angel when Oz left. So really, they comforted each other.

Buffy never knew that Willow had fallen for her, she always saw Willow as a best friend, nothing more, nothing less. The only way Willow was ever okay with that was that Buffy was straight. She didn't like girls like that.

But now that was gone. Buffy was gay, after all.

And she was in love with a different girl. Buffy was in love with a whore like Faith.

The tears started flowing again, though these were tears of rage. It went beyond anger, it was pure fury. Willow stormed off, and Buffy and Faith didn't notice.

"Faith." Buffy began. "I'm in love with you. I don't expect you to say it right now. You're right. This is one area that I have more experience than you in. Relationships, "I love you"s. I've done it before. You haven't. I understand that. I'm sorry if it felt like I was trying to trap you. I can be patient. I'm in love with you, I am. And now that I've said it out loud, I feel better. But I'm not going to make you say it back. You'll say it when you're ready to say it. We'll just have to go through these firsts together, okay?"

Faith nodded and turned to look at Buffy. Their foreheads touched, and they just looked into each other's eyes until they heard the bell ring, signifying the start of the day.

"You coming to school today, Faith?" Buffy asked.

"Are you?"

"Yeah. Last time I ditched, I got grounded."

"Yeah, but I'm a good negotiator. I can get you parole."

"Not going to take that chance, though."

"Thought so. Eh, I might as well go. Nothin' better to do. 'Cept you, that is. I could do you."

"Faith..." Buffy warned.

"Yeah, I know. I'm the stupid... idiot who said three dates first."

"Yes you are, so I'm just going to hold you to it."

"Jus think how amazing it'll be when we finally do." Faith smiled wickedly.

"Oh, please don't say that. My resolve is on thin ice as it is. I don't need any cracks on the ice."

"Mind-blowing." Faith said, kissing Buffy.

"Oh, major cracks appearing." Buffy moaned.

"Life-changing."

Buffy moaned again. "Faith." She whispered. "Any more teasing like that, and I won't be able to stop myself. I'll throw you up against the wall, and make you scream my name."

"Ground-shaking. Earth-shattering. Universe-altering." Faith whispered seductively, each phrase making Buffy moan again. And again.

Buffy was right. She lost control. She reached up and squeezed Faith's breasts, pushing her up against the wall and kissed her.

"I told you, I wouldn't be able to control myself."

"Well, you're going to have to." Faith said as she fell down to her knees and came back up to Buffy's left, then turned and walked away, leaving Buffy gasping for air.

To be continued...

**Ooooooh, drama. Now, I know I said Willow wasn't gay in the Author's Note at the beginning of Chapter 1, but I recently read a Fuffy fic by another author, called In the Name of Justice, written by Buffy1987 (an awesomely amazing story, bee-tee-dubs), and it got me to thinking that a love triangle would be a nice touch (oops, spoiler alert), and I thought who better to be the third person than Willow? Of course, the story will focus on "Fuffy", though at some point I'll probably do some kind of time jump and bring Tara in. Probably the last chapter. Also, I just realized that I never posted this story, so that would definitely explain why I never got any reviews for it, lol. So if you would be so kind as to ignore the Author's Note at the end of chapter 2, I would love it if you would not hate me for being an $$hole. Anyway, any reviews you have to offer would be greatly appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4

Unsupportive

**Chapter 4**

Buffy felt like she was going crazy by the end of the day, unable to touch Faith. Luckily, the next day was delayed for an emergency school board meeting, so school didn't start until 11:00. Of course, that meant school would run a bit later, but Buffy could spend almost the entire morning with Faith.

Buffy ate breakfast, then showed up at Faith's apartment at 8:00. She sat down by the door, not wanting to wake Faith up, and she waited. She waited until 9:00, then gave up. She couldn't wait anymore. She knocked on the door and waited for Faith to open the door. No answer came.

Buffy knocked again. Still no response.

She began to get worried, thinking maybe something bad happened to her. But she shrugged the thought off. Faith was probably just asleep still.

She knocked again, loudly. Faith still didn't respond.

Buffy kicked the door in and burst into the apartment.

There was no sign of a struggle, but whoever took Faith might have caught her by surprise. She heard a cry come from the bathroom. It sounded like Faith was in pain.

Buffy burst into the bathroom and froze. Faith was naked... in the bathtub... using the detachable showerhead to pleasure herself.

Buffy blushed and turned to walk away slowly when she heard Faith's voice.

"Buffy..." It came out as a moan, and Buffy knew she was caught.

"Faith, I'm sorry."

Faith's eyes jolted open and she jumped as she heard Buffy's voice.

"Holy shit, Buffy!" She yelled, surprized.

"Wait, you didn't... know I was... here?"

"No! Were you seriously just watching me get off?! How long were you there?!"

"I just got here. Actually, I've been here since eight, but I waited outside for you to get up until nine, not knowing that not only had you already gotten up, you were getting _off_. God, Faith, I'm sorry."

Faith chuckled, leaning her head back, still in the bathtub. The nozzle was still between her legs, and Faith moaned again.

Buffy, embarassed, turned to walk away.

"What, not gonna stay for the show?" Faith asked, not opening her eyes.

"Well, I..."

"If I wanted you to leave, I'd have said something. Personally, I like it better with an audience." Faith bit her bottom lip in pleasure. "It makes it... better."

Buffy was already breathing hard, her breaths puffing her chest out as much as it could, and her panties were drenched.

"B..." Faith moaned. "It... it smells... like... you... you could... use... another... bath... yourself... After... after I'm... done... feel... feel free."

Faith started tweaking her nipples, massaging her breasts as she got off in front of Buffy.

She tried to keep herself quiet, not wanting Buffy to get too embarassed and go away. She really did like it better with an audience, though she hadn't known that when she said it. She only said it so Buffy wouldn't run away.

Her moans grew louder and more frequent, and Buffy knew she was close. She was very interested in seeing what Faith looked like when she came, as it was a face she was going to get used to seeing a lot, she was sure of it.

Faith arched her back, and clenched her thighs together as she came, a loud moan escaping her lips. A minute or two later, she relaxed, and turned the sprayer off, and replaced it on its stand above her head. Faith didn't bother letting the water out, she knew Buffy would take advantage of her offer, and was definitely going to use that sprayer. She didn't say a word, just got out, dried off, and sat down on the sink counter, brushing her teeth with an electric toothbrush. She motioned to the tub, giving Buffy the "go ahead".

Buffy looked at Faith hesitantly, but Faith made no move to leave.

Buffy was nervous, but she was so aroused after watching Faith... the arousal overcame her nervousness, and she started taking off her clothes.

Faith never took her eyes off of Buffy. She only just reached her climax, yet she was highly aroused already, just looking at Buffy.

She watched Buffy sit down in the water. The water Faith had just been in, naked. The water Faith just came in. Some of that water had even been inside Faith's sex.

And Buffy stood back up and grabbed the sprayer, blushing. Faith grinned as she watched Buffy sit back down and hesitantly touch herself, and Faith felt her already moist womanhood grow wetter.

Buffy moaned as she started rubbing herself, and Faith couldn't take it. She rinsed her mouth and toothbrush out, then sat back down on the sink counter and spread her legs. She looked at the toothbrush still in her hands, then pressed the head of it against her clit, and turned it back on.

Faith's moan from the sink caused Buffy to jump. She looked at Faith and saw her using her electric toothbrush to stimulate herself, but her eyes remained locked on Buffy.

Faith nodded expectantly towards Buffy.

_Don't stop. Keep going_. Buffy understood the nod to mean.

Buffy nodded back, then closed her eyes again as she rubbed herself, in the same water Faith had rubbed herself in. Then used the same showerhead Buffy held in her hand to pleasure herself. Buffy sat in a tub of water with Faith's cum mixed in all through the water, and that made Buffy very, very hot.

Buffy removed her hand from between her legs and turned the sprayer on. She put the head up against her opening and moaned as she felt the water slip inside her like a hot knife through butter.

She tilted her head back and moaned.

The toothbrush wasn't nearly as good as a vibrator, or the showerhead, but it felt better than usual, watching Buffy get off in front of her.

Buffy twitched in the water, not used to the feeling. She had masturbated before, but this didn't feel the same. It felt like what she imagined Faith's tongue would, so that's what she imagined it to be. She pictured Faith's face looking up at her between her legs, her mouth open, her tongue slipping in between Buffy's folds. In and out, Faith's tongue went, only better. Instead of going in and out, her tongue never ended, and it just kept going in, pushing further and further inside, until Buffy was gasping for air.

Buffy gasping was getting Faith hotter and hotter, and Faith's own breath was growing short again. Faith couldn't have forced herself to look away from Buffy if she wanted to, she was enthralled with the sight before her.

Faith turned her toothbrush off and left it in the sink as she walked over to the bathtub and sat down by the edge, watching Buffy closely.

Buffy was very much aware of Faith's closeness, and just the mere thought pushed Buffy closer, and closer, and closer. Suddenly, the sprayer wasn't enough. She turned the sprayer off and set it to the side, then grabbed Faith's hand before she could react, and put it between her legs.

Buffy moved Faith's hand around in circles, moaning the whole time.

Faith couldn't stop. She didn't want to. She knew she should, but the ice her resolve was sitting on was already cracked, and Buffy putting her hand between her legs caused the ice to shatter completely.

Buffy moved her hand away, and Faith kept rubbing her. Buffy tried to play with her breasts, but Faith moved her hands away, and started tweaking Buffy's nipples herself.

Buffy was so close. She felt her orgasm fast approaching. She had to do something. She had to hold on the something to keep herself grounded, or she'd fly away, she was certain. She grabbed the edge of the tub and squeezed with all her strength. She made one last gasp for air, but couldn't breathe anymore.

Her orgasm slammed into her all at once, and her lungs wouldn't work anymore. She saw a few spots in her peripheral vision, and they started multiplying as she ran out of air already in her lungs.

Faith took that opportunity to slip three fingers inside her and started pumping.

The sudden sensation caused Buffy to soar to new heights, heights Angel could never have made her experience

Buffy's eyes were clenched shut, and her mouth was open, but no sound came out, and no air went in.

Faith could see the essence leaking out of Buffy into the bathwater, and she pumped Buffy as fast as she could, wanting Buffy's orgasm to last as long as she could.

Buffy came down from her high after ten full minutes. Finally able to breathe, Buffy gasped repeatedly, though she had passed out as soon as she had finished. Luckily, Giles had always insisted on doing breathing excersizes, or Buffy might have suffocated. Faith continued to pump Buffy slowly, loving the feeling of Buffy's folds sliding over her fingers.

Faith's other hand returned to between her legs and she pumped herself in time with her thrusts into Buffy. Her orgasm came quickly, and she rode her orgasm out, continuing to pump herself and Buffy until she was finished, and she lay hung over the edge of the tub, face nearly in the water, panting for air.

How did Buffy have this effect on her?

She knew the answer to that question.

She was in love with her.

Buffy woke up in the bathtub around 10:00.

She saw Faith still sitting next to her, looking serious, but what really attracted Buffy's attention was the fact that Faith still had three fingers buried in Buffy's sex. When Faith realized Buffy was awake, she slipped her fingers out and washed her hands in the water.

"Hey, there, beautiful." Buffy said sweetly, and Faith choked up. Tears were evident in Faith's eyes. "Whoa! What did I say?" Buffy asked worriedly.

"Nothing. Just... Just another first, is all."

"What?"

"No... no one's... no one's ever... ever called me... beautiful... before." Faith said between sniffles.

"Really?"

Faith shook her head.

"No one... Been called... sexy... or hot... or fuckable... Never beautiful."

"Then it's a good first?"

"It's a damn good first, Buffy. Thank you." Faith wiped her eyes on her arm.

"I can't believe no one's ever called you beautiful before." Buffy said, and she couldn't. "Because you are. You, Faith Lehane, are the single most beautiful, radiant, gorgeous, stunning, perfect girl I've ever seen. And that's saying something, because I look in the mirror all the time."

Faith laughed a little at Buffy's attempt at humor.

"Faith, stand up."

"What?"

"Stand up, I said." Faith did as Buffy said, confused.

Buffy just stared at Faith. Faith hadn't bothered to get dressed, so Buffy saw every detail of Faith's body unobscured.

"What?" Faith asked, but Buffy hushed her.

"I'm trying to take a mental picture of this, and a good photographer needs absolute silence." Buffy said, completely serious.

Faith was never a self-conscious person before. She never _really_ cared who saw her body, she was perfectly comfortable with it. The only reason she ever wore clothes is because she could get arrested if she didn't. Yet now, with Buffy looking at her, she was both more confident and more self-conscious than ever. She was proud of her body, but at the same time, worried about Buffy finding any single thing that she didn't like.

"It's not exactly as I imagined you." Buffy said, and Faith moved to cover herself with her arms, but Buffy waved her off. "I mean, nobody could have ever imagined anything so... perfect. This is much, much better than I imagined you."

Buffy looked into Faith's eyes and saw tears coming back up again.

Faith had been kissed everywhere, and she'd had sex just about every way imaginable. But she'd never been worshipped before. She'd never been adored.

It seemed Buffy would never stop giving her firsts like that.

What's wrong, Faith?" Buffy asked.

"What's wrong?"

"Yeah. What's wrong?"

"Well... what's wrong is... I grew up in a shithole. I had an abusive mom, and a deadbeat dad I never knew. I slept with half the men in Boston. I smoked, drank, and did drugs from the time I was fourteen until I was found by my first Watcher, and as soon as he was dead, I picked it all back up again, and brought my bad habits with me here. I have nine and a half packs of cigarettes in my drawer, three bottles of whiskey in the cabinet, a six-pack in the fridge. I didn't pick the drugs back up. I was off of those, and I'm going to _stay_ off of those. I still have three boxes of condoms in my drawer I kept just in case I brought a guy who didn't bring one, though I guess I won't need them anymore. I've slept with almost every guy my age here in Sunny-D, and here you are, worshipping me like I'm some kind of fucking goddess. Calling me beautiful, and... sayin' you love me..."

"You know... You always appear so confident, like you don't care what anybody thinks of you. You do whatever you want whenever you want. But inside, I guess you care _too_ _much_ what other people think. People have made you feel dirty, haven't they?"

Faith nodded.

"Well, you say I worship you like a goddess. You're wrong."

Faith stared at Buffy, dumbfounded.

"Faith, even goddesses should worship you. Afro-what's-her-face, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, should come down from whatever that mountain thingy is called and kiss the ground you walk on. In fact..."

Buffy got out of the tuband knelt down in front of Faith and kissed her feet, looking up at Faith the whole time.

Faith smiled slightly and put her face in her hands in embarassment.

Buffy stood up and moved Faith's hands away from her face, looking her dead in the eyes.

"Faith, if I worship you, it's because you're worth being worshipped. No, it's because you _deserve_ to be worshipped."

"Buffy... I don't deserve you." Faith said, looking away.

"No, Faith. _I_ don't deserve _you_. But I'm glad I have you, anyway." Buffy kissed Faith on the forehead, then once on each eyelid, and each cheek, then finally, placed a gentle one on her lips.

Buffy looked at Faith's alarm clock by her bed and saw the time.

_10:30!_

"Oh crap! We've got to go!" Buffy said. "That is, if you're coming." she added.

Faith nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes again. Buffy gathered her clothes and the two of them went into the main room of the apartment, where they stopped cold, all color draining from their faces.

"You forgot your lunch money at home." Joyce Summers said coldly.

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Unsupportive

**Chapter 5**

"Mom?" Buffy asked quietly. Buffy was suddenly very, very aware that she wasn't wearing anything, and neither was Faith. Her mother just walked in on her being naked with another girl.

"Mom, why didn't you knock?"

"The door was open." Joyce said, her face just as pale as Buffy's and Faith's. "Dented. Like it'd been kicked in. I got worried."

"Oh." Buffy said.

Faith was embarassed, angry and scared all at the same time, and none of them were about her broken door.

"Buffy, get your clothes on and get in the car." Joyce said, her eyes red.

Buffy made a huge mistake. "Can we give Faith a ride to school?" she blurted, and Joyce glared at her.

"Now, Buffy." she whispered, a deadly whisper.

Tears welled up in both Buffy and Faith's eyes.

"You wouldn't be this angry if Faith was a guy, would you?!" Buffy asked angrily.

"If I'm honest, probably not. What the HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" Joyce asked, unable to keep her voice down anymore.

"I was thinking I love Faith, and love shouldn't matter because of gender." Buffy retorted, and Joyce smacked her. She smacked her so hard, it left an almost noticeable pink hand-shaped bruise on Buffy's face, despite her Slayer abilities.

Joyce didn't even flinch about it, only glared at Buffy like she didn't recognize her.

"I don't know who you are anymore. Lying about having some evil thing to vanquish, knowing how I worry about you, even when there's not some all-powerful demon after you. Skipping class? Ditching a test? Staying out all night, not even telling me where you're going or where you'll be staying the night? Getting thrown out of a night club?"

"We got thrown out on purpose." Buffy mumbled.

"We?"

"Mrs. S-"

"Don't... even... speak Faith." Joyce held up her hand as a barrier between herself and Faith, the one who'd ruined her oldest girl. "I have nothing to say to the likes of you. And I don't listen to _sluts_."

Faith backed off.

"Mom!" Buffy shouted. "Don't talk to her that way!"

"Don't you raise your voice to me, Buffy Anne Summers!"

"B, it... it's okay." Faith muttered under her breath.

"No it's not okay, Faith. That will _never_ be okay. _No one_ has the right to talk to you that way." Buffy growled, though her words were directed towards Joyce.

"Look, Mrs. Summers, it's all my fault. I told B... Buffy... I told Buffy that she could take a bath here before we headed to school, she said she didn't have time to get one before coming here. We forgot that school was delayed today, so we were in a hurry. I'm just waiting for my clothes to get out of the dryer, that's all. I should have put on a towel, I realize that, and I apologize for my indecency." Faith said, unable to look Joyce in the eye.

Joyce turned to Buffy. "Is that true, Buffy?"

Faith nodded to Buffy, urging her to say yes.

But Buffy disagreed.

"No it's not, mom. I'm in love with Faith. I'm eighteen, and Faith is almost eighteen now herself. We save the world at least once a year. I think that qualifies us as adults, mom. We have the right to make our own decisions." Buffy looked at Faith. But she still spoke to her mom. "I came over and knocked on the door. When Faith didn't answer, I got worried, and I busted down the door. I heard a noise in the bathroom and thought Faith was in trouble, so I walked in and saw her masturbating in the bathtub. I watched her finish, and when she got out, I got in, and we had sex."

Buffy looked back at Joyce, who was standing there, horrified.

Faith couldn't meet either Joyce or Buffy's eyes.

Joyce didn't say another word. She just turned around and left.

"B..." Faith said softly, and she managed to meet Buffy's eyes. "Why the hell would you do that? She's your fucking mother!"

Faith was very, very angry, and not at Buffy. She was mad at Joyce for talking to her and Buffy like that, but she was furious with herself the most. She's the one that put Buffy in that compromising situation, and she blamed herself for ruining Buffy's relationship with her mother.

"She may be my mom, but you're my girlfriend, Faith. I love her, but I'm _in love_ with you. She gave me life, but I choose to give my life to you. I want to spend my life with you, not with her. If I have to choose between you and her, I choose you, Faith."

"B, you didn't have to choose!"

"Yes I did! Even if I did go home with her, if I ever so much as mentioned your name again, she wouldn't speak to me for a week. You didn't make me choose, she did."

"Buffy..." Faith said, slumping down on her bed, burying her face in her hands. Her shoulders started shaking, and Buffy knew she was crying.

"Faith... I've been thinking... for the past five minutes, anyway. I know we haven't really talked about it... and we haven't even really been on a proper date yet... but... do you... maybe... want to move in together?"

Faith looked up at Buffy, who was trying to read Faith's expression unsuccessfully.

"Why? So you can run away from your mom?"

"No, because I really need a place to stay now that my mom's going to kick me out of the house."

"What makes you think she'll kick you out?"

"I know my mom. She won't tolerate a lesbian living under her roof 'endangering her daughters'. Or daughter as it is now. She's homophobic, just like everyone else is. You're either a homophobe, or a homosexual, and my mom isn't a homosexual. So, I'm gone. If I can't move in with you, or maybe both of us find a different apartment, I'll have to find somewhere to live on my own, and I'd much rather live with you."

"Um... I... I don't know, B. I don't know if I'm ready for that whole 'living together' thing. Hell, I already proved I can't do the 'three dates' thing."

"Okay. Well, then I'll find somewhere else to live for now."

"You're not mad or anything?"

"No. Well, I am, but not at you. I understand not being ready. To be honest, I'm thinking you're right, anyway. Probably would be a bad idea. Least for now. Besides, I don't want to push you too fast."

"Thanks, B. But you really need to try and mend things with your mom."

"It'll all blow over, once she sees my point is made. She'll give in everntually, and everything will be hunky-dorey."

"Buffy. I mean it. One, I have this... this ache in me... I feel guilty because this is all because of me. And don't say it's not, because we both know it is. You chose me over her. You turned gay because of me. If I hadn't come to town, you wouldn't have fallen for me, you would've stayed straight, and nothing like this would have happened between you and your mom. Two, your mom won't start treating you like an adult until youstart acting like one, and I don't just mean making your own decisions. I mean, I'm not the most mature person around, but we both have good role models, like Giles... and your mom. They make decisions, and they admit when they made wrong ones. And you made the wrong decision when you talked to your mother like that, even if you were just defending me. I'm not saying go back and tell her she was right and you were wrong, but you both need to come to some sort of compromise. For me. Please, Buffy."

Buffy hesitated, but then agreed. "Okay. Fine. I'll... I'll talk to her. Try to reach some kind of understanding. But only for you. I'm not doing this for me, or for her. Just for you."

"Thank you. I couldn't live with myself if I ruined your relationship with your mom."

"I'll just get dressed and head over there. If I miss school, well, this is more important."

"It is." Faith kissed Buffy, their bare breasts pressed firmly against each other. It wasn't a long kiss, mostly just sharing comfort between the two of them.

11:30, Buffy knocked on the front door of her house.

Dawn answered. "Oh. Hi Buffy. Heard mom found out you're gay, and in the worst way possible."

"Yeah."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"That's why I'm here. I need to talk to Mom."

"Wait, she's an active volcano ready to rain down fierry destruction and chaos, and you want to throw in a barrel of gasoline?"

"I'm hoping for more of a firetuck full of water."

"What, you gonna try and sweet-talk her?"

"No, thought I'd try something else. Something more... adult."

"Sweet-talking isn't adult?"

"No. Not in the least."

"So that's why Mom won't let me get a butterfly tatoo."

"Yes. That's why. That's exactly why."

Dawn turned towards the stairs and shouted. "Mom! Buffy's here! She wants to talk to you!"

Dawn let Buffy by and closed the door, then ran up the stairs, trying to get out of the line of fire. She passed Joyce in the hall.

"Hey, Mom, when you're done chewing Buffy up and spitting her out, there's something I want to talk to you about, too."

"Dawn, if this is about that butterfly tatoo, forget it." Joyce said, exasperated, holding her temple to try and rid herself of a headache.

Dawn opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. "Nevermind, then." Dawn ran to her room.

"Buffy, what is it now?"

"I want to... no, I need to talk to you about earlier."

"Fine. If you want to apologize, be my guest."

"Can we go in there?" Buffy motioned to the living room, and Joyce told her to lead the way.

Joyce sat down on the couch, and Buffy sat down across from her, in a chair.

"Mom, I didn't come here to apologize." Joyce started to leave, but Buffy stood up and, as gently as she could while still getting her point across, pushed her back down. Joyce looked at Buffy in alarm.

"Look, Mom, I'm trying to have an adult conversation here. Please, hear me out."

Joyce hesitated, then finally nodded and motioned for Buffy to sit down, which she did.

"Thank you. What I mean is, I did come here to apologize, but not for everything. Mom, I'm sorry I went behind your back about seeing Faith. I shouldn't have done that, and I _really_ shouldn't have spoken like that to you. I'm truly sorry about that, Mom."

"I accept your apology. You are forgiven for that. And I apologize for speaking that way to you, too."

"And Faith?"

"What about Faith?"

"You spoke about her that way and worse, too."

"So I did." Buffy's mom agreed.

"Mom, I'm trying to meet you half way here. Please."

"I don't lie, except to protect my children, and even then, only when they're young. I won't lie to you now that you're eighteen. I will not apologize for talking poorly about her."

Buffy felt her anger growing, but she forced it down.

"Mom... I... Um... Listen, I'm not gay." Joyce looked at Buffy in confusion. "I don't like girls. I've only ever liked one girl, and that's Faith. I don't count only ever loving one girl as being completely gay. But I _am_ in love with Faith. This isn't just a phase. This is real. I'm sorry if that upsets you, Mom, but it's not something I have control over. It's not something I can turn off or ignore, it's just something that is. It doesn't make sense, but I don't think it's meant to. I would really like it if I could have your blessing to pursue a relationship with Faith, but I'll do it without it if I have to. I love Faith, and I believe she loves me."

Joyce was silent for a long time. Finally, though, she broke her slience.

"I suppose it took a lot to come over here and talk to me so maturely after I obviously angered you a great deal." Joyce said.

"Well, if it wasn't for Faith..."

"But, I'm afraid I can not support you in this. I will let you see Faith only because you are making a big mistake in this, and I believe the young should learn from their mistakes, and I sincerely hope you learn from this one. In any case, you are grounded until further notice."

"What?!"

"You heard me, Buffy. You are grounded. Go to your room and stay there until I call you for supper. The school called to let me know school was cancelled for today, so you don't have to worry about taking that test today."

"Why was school cancelled?"

"Something about busted pipes. Now to your room."

"Mom, I came back to talk to you as an adult, and you're treating me like a child. I think I have been more than reasonable with you, all I ask is that you do the same with me."

"I am being reasonable. You apologized for speaking poorly to me, and for going behind my back. While you have not apologized for everything you did wrong, you have for some things, and therefore, I will settle for grounding you."

"What would you have done if I hadn't?"

"I don't know, but I'm glad I don't have to think about it."

"Well, don't bother. I've tried to negotiate, and compromise, but you obviously aren't willing to do that. I'll be upstairs, packing my bags."

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't my problem, it's yours. If you can't handle one of your daughters being gay, then I guess I can't handle a homophobic mother. I'm moving out."

"You don't have anywhere to go."

"I might be able to stay with Will for awhile until I can get my own place."

"Why not Faith?"

"Because I already asked her, and she said she wasn't ready for that yet. I'm going to respect that, because I respect _her_. I guess you don't respect me enough to let me make my own decisions, and to support me in them."

Buffy walked upstairs to her room, finding Dawn sitting in the hallway, listening to the entire conversation.

"You're leaving?" Dawn asked disappointedly.

"Don't worry, I'll still get you that Cher CD."

"I don't want it."

"What?"

"I don't want it. I want you to stay."

"What? C-c-c-can you repeat that?" Buffy asked jokingly.

"Missing you less with every second." Dawn joked back, but then jumped up and hugged Buffy. "I love you, Buffy."

Buffy hugged Dawn tightly. "I love you, too, Dawnie."

"Can I help you pack?" Dawn asked.

"In a hurry to get rid of me, are you?"

"Yeah. 'Cause I'm sooo taking your room." Dawn smiled a bit, and Buffy returned the smile.

The two girls spent the next hour deciding what to pack, and Buffy called and asked Willow, who agreed to let Buffy be her room mate for a while, and even got Xander to help her move. Xander showed up at around 1:00 and helped Buffy get all of her clothes into his car's trunk and drove her over to Willow's. Nothing else was really urgent, except for a photograph Buffy took with her of her, Dawn and Joyce all smiling happily.

Dawn promised to take care of the rest of Buffy's stuff until she came to get it.

That night, after Buffy was all settled in, neither she nor Willow could sleep, so they stayed up talking.

"So... You want to talk about it?" Willow asked Buffy.

"Not really. It's in the past."

"Okay. So... Why didn't you stay with Faith?"

"She's not ready for the 'living together' thing."

"Oh. Okay."

"Yeah. So I just figured I'd ask you if I could room with you until I find a place."

"That's fine. I'm actually looking for a place, too."

"You are?"

"Yeah. Who knows, maybe one one of us finds a place, we can live there together. You know, until Faith is ready. Then you can move in with her, or I can swap apartments with her, take her place, she takes my room in our place, or whatever."

"Never know. Only if we can find a two-bedroom, though. I'm not really used to sharing a room with someone, no offense."

"Hey, none taken. I'm not much one for sharing either. If it wasn't for your whole situation I'd have... probably still agreed that you could stay, but I'd probably have been much more hesitant and maybe a little grumpy about it."

"I really appreciate it, Will. I need to talk to Faith about this. She doesn't know about all of this, yet, I totally spaced."

"I can give you a ride over there, if you want. Things like this need to be said in person."

"Yeah. I'd appreciate it, Will."

"Okay. Lemme ask my mom if I can borrow the car."

"Okay."

Thirty minutes later, they pulled into Faith's drive way.

Faith saw the headlights and met Buffy on the porch.

"Hey, B. Haven't seen you in a few hours, I was beginning to worry."

"Sorry. I was just a bit wiggy. I talked to my mom, but I was right. She totally wouldn't listen to me when I mentioned you."

"Well, at least you tried. So what are you going to do?"

"I've already done. I'm sorry, I know I should have told you, but like I said, I was wiggy, and I just wasn't thinking right yet. I moved in with Willow for now until I can get a place. If I find a place with two rooms, Will's trying to get out of her mom's house, so she might come stay with me. Or vice versa if she finds the place."

Faith didn't look happy, but she didn't press the issue. She was, after all, the one who wasn't ready to live with Buffy, though her readiness might be coming much sooner than she thought.

"Right, well." Faith brought Buffy in for a kiss, as if she was marking her territory as a warning to Willow to stay away. "Just..."

"I know. You don't have to say it."

Faith nodded. That was something else she wasn't ready for, but she wanted to do something to cheer Buffy up a little.

"I lo-" Buffy silenced her with a kiss.

When they separated, Faith looked at Buffy inquizitively.

"Faith, I know what you were going to say. Thank you, it means a lot to me that you'd do that for me, but you're not ready to say it yet, so don't. I told you earlier, I'm not going to have you do anything you're not ready for yet."

Faith nodded in understanding, and squeezed Buffy's hand, conveying everything she felt in that squeeze.

Buffy got in the car just in time for Willow to get out and walk up to Faith.

"Look, Faith, I know you're worried about me maybe trying to put the moves on-"

"Just don't say anything, Red. I'm gonna be honest. I don't like the fact that my girlfriend is living with another lesbian, and is making plans to get her own place with said lesbian. But I'm not going to make a fuss about it. You know why?"

"Because you trust me?"

"No. Because I trust _her_. Besides, I brought this on myself. I'm the one who said I'm not ready to live with B yet, and she wouldn't let me take that back, even if I tried. She seems to know what I'm ready for better than I do. So I'm not going to bother telling you to stay away from my girl. I'm not going to warn you that if you do anything to hurt B, then I'm going to literally kill you. I'm not going to warn you that if I ever hear of or see you putting the moves on my girl, I'll break every bone in your body. I'm not going to do any of that because I'm trying to clean up for B, and be a nice person, and I trust her. You're gay, and I can tell you're in love with her, but I'm not going to feel threatened, because I love her, and I know she loves me, and I trust her, got it, Red?"

Willow nodded coldly.

"I just-"

"No. No speaking. Everything has been said that needs to be said. Take my girlfriend back to your place. Be a _friend_ to her, because I know she needs one right now." Faith said, emphasizing the word "friend".

Willow nodded again and left. Faith watched the car fade away in the distance as Buffy and Willow headed back for Willow's house.

Faith went back inside and closed her door as good as she could, then sat back down on her bed and buried her face in her hands.

She sat like that for more than an hour, until she heard someone walking around outside. Directly outside her apartment.

She was instantly on edge, and she hid behind the door, waiting to see who it was. She heard something click, then heard something loud, like thunder, and she thought there was a thunderstorm coming, and at first she thought her theory was confirmed when she felt something wet, but then realized the rain couldn't get her when she was inside and behind a door.

She felt an ache in her gut and reached up with her right hand to touch it, then felt the wetness there. She brought her hand up to her face to look at it, and smell it. Blood.

Her blood.

Faith heard footsteps as someone entered the apartment. She saw the gun first. A small revolver. The kind used in movies when someone wanted to kill someone in revenge.

The shooter wore a long trenchcoat, sunglasses, a hood, and a scarf around her face. This woman was the ultimate murderer cliché. The only hint to her identity was her womanly figure, indicating that it obviously wasn't a man. The shooter turned towards Faith, and the hood slipped just enough for Faith to see a flash of red hair, then the shooter fixed it.

She saw a blinding light as the gun fired again, and a split second of pain in her forehead, then everything was dark...

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Unsupportive

**Chapter 6**

Buffy couldn't sleep that night at all. She was tense from the events of the day, but that wasn't what kept her up. She had a very bad feeling that something major was about to happen, something more personal than an apocalypse. She could handle apocalypses, as long as Faith was by her, they could beat any mega-demon that came to town. But Buffy didn't know if she could handle personal.

Willow had to leave again early on in the night. Something seemed to be troubling her as she grabbed her raincoat and scarf and headed back out the door, saying there was something she had to do. Buffy worried about her. Ever since she saw Buffy and Faith kissing in the bathroom, and subsequently told them she, too, was gay, she seemed... distracted. Buffy and she could hang out, no problem, but the moment Faith walked up, Willow went off in her own little world.

And when Willow walked back into their now shared room at Willow's mom's house, she seemed more... disturbed... than she had been when she left. She looked... haunted.

She put her dry trenchcoat and scarf in a small laundry basket nearly full of dirty laundry.

"Weather man was wrong again." She said. "He called for lots of rain, but I didn'tget a single drop. Well, not of rain. I did get some paint on me, though."

Willow nodded to her trenchcoat, where red paint had been splattered all over the front of it.

"What happened?" Buffy asked.

"Oh... um... There was this old book store sitting around in town. Apparently it went out of business, which really sucks because I actually loved that book store. The owner was nice. But he's dead, somehow. I couldn't find out why. Anyway, the guy who owned the store next to the book store said that the faded and cracking paint on the book store was driving customers away from _his _store, so he was painting it so they'd come back. I offered to help, so that's why I'm late. Lots of splashback happened with the paint, 'cause I'm not good with paint."

"Oh. Okay." Buffy looked at Willow, and something really seemed off about her. "You okay? Was that your favorite coat, or something?"

"Yeah, but I can get the paint out. All I need is a couple candles and a witty rhyme."

"Are those the ingredients in Oxy Clean?"

Willow smirked. "No. They're the ingredients in Willow Clean."

"Well, what's eating you?"

Willow hesitated. "Oz. I mean, he's not eating me. Not int the sense that he's hungry and looking for a meal." Willow caught herself. "Or in the sexual sense! He's very much not eating me in the sexual sense!"

Buffy smirked a bit, then recoiled as Willow's words brought up a very disturbing image of Willow in chains wearing only a corset, and Oz on his knees in front-

_No! Bad, bad Buffy!_ Buffy thought to herself.

"But he is on my mind. He... He's back."

"What?"

"Yeah, he just called me the other day and said he'd be here today, so I went to meet him"

"And you're worried he'll find out you're gay and freak out.."

"Maybe a little. But I don't think I'm going to stop being gay just 'cause he's back. I don't think it works that way."

"You never know. But for what it's worth, I hope it works out for you either way."

"Not likely."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the only way it'll work out for me is if I somehow _stop_ being gay, and we can get back together. If I stay gay... well... let's just say there's this girl I like, and don't ask me what her name is, because I'm not going to say, but she's really pretty, and we get along great. The thing is, though, she's taken. Plus, I don't think she'll ever see me as anything but a-" Willow was interrupted by Buffy's cell phone buzzing.

Buffy looked at the Caller ID and smiled.

"It's Faith." Buffy flipped the phone open and answered. "What's up, Fai?"

Willow watched as Buffy's face turned from one of adoration to confusion, then to horror.

"No!" Buffy shouted, though it came out as a sob, and Willow became extremely concerned. "No!"

Unable to hold the phone anymore due to shaking hands, Buffy dropped it, and it landed on the floor, still open, and Willow could hear a man's voice on the other end of the line.

_"Miss Summers? Hello? Are you there? Miss Summers? If you're there, I'm truly sorry. Miss Lehane is being moved to Sunnydale Medical Center. You might be able to meet her there."_

"Buffy? What happened?" Willow asked, sitting on Buffy's bed beside her.

"Faith... sh-sh-she's b-b-been sh-sh-sh-shot!" Buffy sobbed.

"What?" Willow gasped.

"Someone was going to rob her place, and they found out she was still home, and he shot her."

"Is she alri-... I mean, is she still alive?"

Buffy nodded slightly. "For now. Her neighbor heard the gunshot and called the police immediately."

"Well, that's something, isn't it?"

"Will, I have to go to her. If she's going to..." Buffy couldn't finish that thought, _wouldn't_ finish that thought. "I have to be with her."

"I understand. I'll get my mom to give me the keys to the car."

Buffy nodded as she threw on a jacket and some shoes.

Five minutes later, they were racing down the road, doing ten miles an hour above the speed limit. Luckily, no one pulled them over.

They got to the waiting room not even fifteen minutes after Buffy got the call. In the car, Buffy called everyone she knew, even her mom, and everyone showed up five minutes after Buffy and Willow.

"How's she doing, Buff?" Xander asked as he walked in.

"I don't know. The lady at the desk won't tell me anything."

"Here, let me try." He said. He walked up to the desk, Buffy following close behind.

"Hey, we're here to see Faith Lehane?"

"And you are?" The lady asked Xander.

"I'm her boyfriend." Xander lied, figuring it might give him more leverage.

"That's funny, because the girl behind you claims to be Ms. Lehane's _girlfriend_." The lady scoffed at both of them. Xander just turned to Buffy inquizitively.

"Buff?"

"Xander, please-"

"Is it true?" Xander asked.

"Please, I can't-"

"Is it true?!" Xander shouted.

"Hey, keep it down!" The desk lady shouted.

"Buff. Please tell me it's not... That you're not..."

"Gay?" Buffy asked, hurt.

"Yeah."

"I... I can't, Xand. I just can't."

Xander walked over and sat down in a chair, suddenly light-headed. Dawn, Willow and Giles ran up to see what was wrong. Joyce stayed near the entrance, wanting to keep as much distance as she could between her and her... _lesbian_ of a daughter.

"What's wrong, what happened." Dawn asked.

"Buff... Buffy's... And Faith... They're..." Xander mumbled, deeply confused.

"What?" Giles asked, looking to Buffy for an explanation.

"Then... Then those jokes..." Xander looked accusingly at Buffy. "They... they weren't... They weren't jokes?"

Buffy looked away, shaking her head no.

Xander leaned back in the chair, tilting his head back as though he had a headache.

"Buffy, what on Earth is he talking about?" Giles asked. But Willow knew.

"Um, Giles..." Willow said, and Giles looked at her.

"Yes, what is it, Willow."

"He... he means the jokes they were making the other day... in the library."

Giles slowly looked back at Buffy as it hit him. His look begged for her denial.

"Giles, please don't... I can't handle... this right now."

"My god." Giles muttered. His look was one she'd seen in her mother's eyes when she found out. Disgust, betrayal. But his look also held sympathy. He didn't like the fact she was gay, he was disgusted by it. But he knew then what Faith meant to Buffy, and suddenly realized the depth of her distress.

"Buffy... I-I-I'm so... so sorry." he said. He went to hug her, but then awkwardly switched to simply patting her back, avoiding as much contact as possible.

A doctor came into the waiting room.

"Dianna Trescott?" He called, and a man who'd walked in almost ten minutes after Buffy and Willow stood up.

"I'm her husband." he said. The doctor walked him back behind the doors. The look on his face said he definitely wasn't there 'cause his wife was having a baby.

Buffy sat down in a chair and buried her face in her hands.

Waiting was the worst thing she'd ever done. She hated being in hospitals period. She'd been in hospitals many times due to injuries or illnesses, though she'd never been in one as the loved one before. She'd always been the patient, which was bad enough. She never imagined waiting to hear whether or not the patient would even live would be worse. She'd always been the one who would die young, never had to worry about outliving anyone she cared about.

The doctor came back out thirty minutes later and called another name. Then another one thirty minutes later.

Buffy watched the waiting room empty four times before she got tired of waiting. The next time the doctor came out, she stood up and started walking over to him.

"Buffy!" Giles warned, and followed after her, but he was too late. She grabbed the doctor by his scrub, or whatever doctors wore and slammed him up against the wall.

"Listen up, _Bub_. I've been sitting in this dirty, cold, depressing waiting room for three _hours_! I have watched people come in and get called back immediately repeatedly for three _hours_, and I'm still sitting here!" Buffy growled at the doctor. The secretary called security.

"Now, all I am asking for is to go back there and see my girlfriend. Look her up, _now_. Her name's Faith. Faith Lehane. I got a call she'd been shot almost _four fucking hours ago!_ I want to see my girlfriend, _now_!"

The doctor looked terrified. Buffy had a wild look in her eye, as if she'd been living in the jungle for a year without any sleep at all.

The security guards walked up and tried to grab Buffy, but Giles,Willow, Dawn and even Xander got in between them and Buffy. Buffy sent them a silent thanks without taking her eyes off of the doctor.

The doctor swallowed. "Faith Lehane, was it?" He asked.

"Yes." She released him and he checked his clip board.

"Oh." He said, and Buffy's heart fell at his tone.

"What?"

"Well... in the ambulance... she... she said something... A name... Buffy? I take it that's you?"

Buffy's throat closed at what she knew was coming. What she dreaded hearing, but wouldn't accept it until she heard it out loud.

She nodded.

"I see. Well... That's the last thing we heard her say. Her exact words were, by the EMT's report, 'Buffy... Call Buffy...", then she..."

"She... what?"

"She blacked out..."

"Doctor, please... don't... don't beat... around the bush... Is Faith alive or not?" Buffy asked, hating herself for being so blunt, but she was tired of waiting. She just wanted a straight answer.

"In... In a manner of speaking." the doctor said.

"What... what do you mean?"

"Well, I mean that her body is... functioning... but... she's nonresponsive to any external stimuli. She... She's entered a state of comatose."

Buffy fell to the ground, both relieved that Faith wasn't actually _dead_, but grieving that she wasn't actually _alive,_ either. She fought an internal war that neither side could possibly win or lose.

"Can we... Can Buffy, that is... Can she see her?" Willow asked the doctor calmly. Buffy looked up at the doctor pleadingly.

"Well... Visiting hours are almost over but... You might be able to see her for... five minutes, or so."

Buffy nodded, willing to take anything she could get.

She stood and followed the doctor back to Faith's room.

Faith was in bed shape, very bad shape. She was bruised all over, as if someone had beaten her severely. Buffy saw a white bandage over Faith's forehead, and another one peaking out at her from beneathe the gown they had Faith in. A couple tubes were sticking out of Faith's nose and wrist.

She looked peaceful, though. Like she was just asleep.

Buffy walked over to Faith and sat down on the bed beside her. She grabbed Faith's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I'm... I'm here, Faith... I'm here..." Buffy sobbed, burying her face in the sheets covering Faith's chest. "I'm here, baby."

Buffy was sobbing hysterically. The doctor waited outside the whole time, standing guard.

No one knew this, but the doctor had a daughter. His daughter was the only thing he hadleft of his wife, who had died of cancer three years ago. The doctor's daughter was gay, too, and she had Leukemia. The doctor had promised himself that if he was ever in a position to help someone who was gay, even the tiniest bit, he would.

Visiting hours had ended thirty minutes before the doctor finally came in to tell Buffy she had to go.

Buffy got up and before she left, bent down and kissed Faith softly, on the lips. As she did so, Faith's heart skipped a beat, and the pulse monitor stalled, then resumed. The pause did not go unnoticed by the doctor or Buffy.

A single tear rolled down Faith's cheek, leaving a short, wet river on Faith's perfectly soft skin.

Back in the waiting room, Buffy thanked the doctor, realizing that he'd let her stay long past what he was supposed to.

"What's going to happen to her?" Giles asked.

"Well... since Miss Lehane doesn't have any family members that we know of, no one can claim her. Unfortunately... she'll..." the doctor couldn't meet their eyes. "She'll become a ward of the state. The state will deice what to do with her."

"What?" Buffy cried. She may be young, but she still knew what that meant. She watched TV. Eventually, it would cost too much to keep Faith's body working, and they'd pull the plug on her.

"I'm... I'm so sorry. If... If you can find any living family members, then... Then you might be able to save her, but if you can't, or if her family can't afford to keep her... like this... They can't pay the hospital bills... then sh'll become a ward of the state."

Buffy collapsed in a chair again, sobbing into her hands. Willow and Dawn crowded around her, embracing her, trying desperately to comfort her.

"Doctor, there's got to be something we can do." Giles said. Xander nodded in agreement.

"Well, like I said, if you can find a family member who can afford to pay the bills and keep her body functioning... Though, if I'm honest, it might be kinder to just pull the plug."

"What?" Xander asked softly, so Buffy couldn't hear.

"The way she is now... there's a 99.9% probability that... she'll never wake up."

"She'll wake up." Buffy said. Apparently, her Slayer hearing was stronger than they thought.

"Miss Summer's, one of the bullets punctured her Frontal and Parietal lobes. This means that-"

"No! It means nothing! She'll wake up! She'll recover!" Buffy shouted, refusing to listen to the doctor.

"Doctor... What is the state's view on adoption?" Giles asked

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you see, since I've known Faith, and known she's on poor terms with her mother, Some friends of mine have been working on finding Faith's mother, and last week, they found her. She's dead, and it's confirmed that she has no other family members." Giles said grimly. "I was wondering if it would be at all possible for me to adopt Faith as my daughter in legality, and if that would be enough to make her fate my choice?"

Buffy stood up and stared at Giles. She ran up to him and hugged him tightly.

"Giles!" She yelled. "Thank you!" She sobbed some more, though it was more relief than grief.

"Well... I suppose it would technically be possible, though adoption isn't all that common for seventeen-year-olds. I don't know if it would work. If she had no other family members, then I suppose the only other way is if she had a boyfriend or a husband who could take over."

"I'm her girlfriend." Buffy said.

"Well, I'm aware of that, but... unfortunately, the state doesn't recognize homosexual relationships as real relationships. That's why I specified _boy_friend or _husband_."

"What?!" Buffy shouted.

"Look, if it were up to me, I'd turn her over to you. Your sister, Miss Summers, I'm assuming she's your sister." The doctor pointed to Dawn. Buffy nodded. "Well, she's, what, thirteen, fourteen? Well, I have a daughter about that age. She told me last year that she likes girls. My fourteen year old daughter is gay. I love my daughter with all of my heart, even though she's gay. And it hurts whenever I hear someone putting her, or any other lesbians or gay men down because they're gay. It makes me think of Lisa. So you see, I have no problems whatsoever with gays. But the state is another story."

Buffy nodded.

"Well, would Giles'... I mean, what are the chances that Giles' adoption thing will work?"

"I don't know. All you can do is try." The doctor squeezed Buffy's shoulder in comfort, then turned to walk away. He turned back, however, and wrote his number on a sticky note, and handed it to Buffy.

"If you ever need to talk, or, anything... just give me a call. My name's Robbin. Robbin Wood."

Dr. Wood walked away slowy as Buffy and everyone else left.

Everyone met up at Giles' house, except for Dawn and Joyce, who had gone home at Joyce's insistance.

"So... how long has this been... going on? Between you and Faith, I mean?" Xander asked.

"Not long. Couple days." Buffy said, and she just couldn't believe it. It had only been that past Tuesday when she and Faith had ditched to go slay, then danced at the club... and kissed. It had been that Wednesday when they'd agreed to give dating each other a try. Today was Friday.

Not even four full days had passed since their relationship began, and Faith was already in the hospital, near death.

At the sudden revelation, Buffy started sobbing again.

Willow rubbd Buffy's back, attempting to calm her.

"It was Wednesday." Buffy wept. "We started... calling each other... girlfriends... on Wednesday."

"God." Xander said. "And you didn't even tell us?"

Buffy glared at him. "I'm sorry for the FUCKING INCONVENIENCE, XANDER! I'M SORRY I THOUGHT YOU WOULD OVERREACT TO FINDING OUT YOUR FRIENDS ARE ALL GAY!"

Xander turned on Buffy. "Hey, leave Will out of this. You don't have to drag her into your gay fantasy!" he yelled, and Buffy looked at Willow.

Willow took the hint. Buffy couldn't deal with this right now. Couldn't deal with all of the 'my friend's gay' drama coming from Xander. Not with Faith in the hospital.

Buffy was pleading with her. Willow had to help.

"Actually, Xander... I... kind of... _am_... gay..." Willow said softly, but Xander heard.

"Wha... What? Y-y-y-you... Will? You're... gay?"

Willow nodded.

If Buffy and Faith being gay came as a shock to Xander, and even Giles, then Willow... That left them speechless.

Xander collapsed on the couch, even more light-headed than he'd been when he found out about Buffy.

Buffy mouthed a 'Thank you." to Willow, and she nodded.

"Something's bothering me, though." Giles said, eager for a change in the conversation.

"What?" Buffy asked, just as eager.

"What would Faith possibly have worth stealing?" Giles asked. "I mean no offense to her, but she really did live in a dreadful apartment with the most apalling posessions. And what's more, she had no money, except what she used to pay her rent. You said the police told you that someone had attempted to rob her, and found her still at home, but rob her of what? I think we should go to Faith's apartment and see if anything's missing."

"Then let's go." Buffy agreed. Everyone grabbed their coats and piled into Giles' car.

When they got there, police tape covered the door to the apartment. They ignored it and went inside regardless.

Faith's things were scattered all over the place, nothing was left unbroken. It certainly looked like the place had been ransacked, as if someone was looking for something of value.

They set to work looking for anything missing.

"You know, it's a lot harder to find something that's supposed to be here and isn't than to find something that's here that isn't supposed to be." Xander said. "Especially if you don't know what to look for."

Buffy didn't move anything, just looked around. It was hard to be in this room. The room where she and Faith had fallen asleep beside each other, holding each other all night. Just holding each other. Not in comfort, just... just holding each other. It had quickly become Buffy's favorite memory. Buffy looked around and saw the blood on the back of the door. Faith's blood. She saw the hole in the door where the mystery assailant had shot Faith through the door. Faith had probably heard the person outside and went to open the door, but got a bad feeling about it. Her Slayer instincts would have told her that something was wrong. Faith would have hidden behind the door, where the intruder couldn't see her when he or she opened the door.

But the intruder expected it.

To the side, Giles watched Buffy. Xander and Willow looked at her, and Xander tried to snap her out of the trance.

"Buff!" He shouted, and startled her out of it.

"No, no, Xander, let her continue." Giles said. "Buffy, what were you thinking?"

"I was, um, imagining what... what happened here."

"Did you see anything? In your mind, I mean. I mean actually _see_ anything?"

"What, like a vision or something?"

"Exactly."

"No. I mean, I don't know. I wasn't trying, but... um, I can try."

Giles nodded, and everyone watched as she began again.

She looked back at the spot on the floor where she and Faith laid together. That spot seemed to trigger something in her, and she found herself in a black-and-white movie, starring Faith and herself.

_"Faith?" Buffy asked, but Faith didn't respond. "Faith!"_

_ Still no response came from Faith._

_ Faith's head turned as headlights shone through the window_

_ Buffy followed Faith outside, where she met Buffy on the porch. Willow was in the car still._

_ "Hey, B. Haven't seen you in a few hours, I was beginning to worry." Faith said to Buffy, the other Buffy._

_ Buffy realized what was happening. She was watching a memory. Faith's memory._

_ "Sorry. I was just a bit wiggy. I talked to my mom, but I was right. She totally wouldn't listen to me when I mentioned you." said the other Buffy._

_ "Well, at least you tried. So what are you going to do?"_

_ "I've already done. I'm sorry, I know I should have told you, but like I said, I was wiggy, and I just wasn't thinking right yet. I moved in with Willow for now until I can get a place. If I find a place with two rooms, Will's trying to get out of her mom's house, so she might come stay with me. Or vice versa if she finds the place."_

_ Faith didn't look happy, but she didn't press the issue. She was, after all, the one who wasn't ready to live with Buffy, though her readiness might be coming much sooner than she thought._

_ "Right, well." Faith brought Buffy in for a kiss, and Buffy found herself getting jealous of herself, and angry that she'd taken that kiss for granted, that she'd even been annoyed when she realized that Faith was marking her territory. "Just..."_

_ "I know. You don't have to say it."_

_ Faith nodded. That was something else she wasn't ready for, but she wanted to do something to cheer Buffy up a little._

_ "I lo-" Buffy silenced her with a kiss. Another kiss that made Buffy jealous and angry at herself_

_ When they separated, Faith looked at Buffy inquizitively._

_ "Faith, I know what you were going to say. Thank you, it means a lot to me that you'd do that for me, but you're not ready to say it yet, so don't. I told you earlier, I'm not going to have you do anything you're not ready for yet."_

_ Faith nodded in understanding, and squeezed Buffy's hand, conveying everything she felt in that squeeze._

_ Buffy got in the car just in time for Willow to get out and walk up to Faith. Now Buffy would find out what was said, it had made her very curious, an itch that couldn't have been satisfied any other way._

_ "Look, Faith, I know you're worried about me maybe trying to put the moves on-"_

_ "Just don't say anything, Red. I'm gonna be honest. I don't like the fact that my girlfriend is living with another lesbian, and is making plans to get her own place with said lesbian. But I'm not going to make a fuss about it. You know why?"_

_ "Because you trust me?"_

_ "No. Because I trust her. Besides, I brought this on myself. I'm the one who said I'm not ready to live with B yet, and she wouldn't let me take that back, even if I tried. She seems to know what I'm ready for better than I do. So I'm not going to bother telling you to stay away from my girl. I'm not going to warn you that if you do anything to hurt B, then I'm going to literally kill you. I'm not going to warn you that if I ever hear of or see you putting the moves on my girl, I'll break every bone in your body. I'm not going to do any of that because I'm trying to clean up for B, and be a nice person, and I trust her. You're gay, and I can tell you're in love with her, but I'm not going to feel threatened, because I love her, and I know she loves me, and I trust her, got it, Red?"_

_ Willow nodded coldly._

_ "I just-"_

_ "No. No speaking. Everything has been said that needs to be said. Take my girlfriend back to your place. Be a friend to her, because I know she needs one right now." Faith said, emphasizing the word "friend"._

_ Willow nodded again and left. Faith watched the car fade away in the distance as Buffy and Willow headed back for Willow's house._

Willow's in love with me?_ Buffy thought to herself._

_ Faith went back inside and closed her door as good as she could, then sat back down on her bed and buried her face in her hands. Buffy wanted to sit down and hug her, but something told her neither she nor Faith would feel it, and hugging her and not being able to feel her touch would somehow be worse than not hugging her at all._

_ Faith didn't move,just sat there on the bed, and Buffy watched the minutes tick by on the clock. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes. Forty minutes. An entire hour._

_ Still no movement. Buffy began to think that maybe the movie froze. Then Faith stirred. She heard something outside, and by her expression, she didn't like it._

Willow, Xander and Giles watched Buffy move around, as if in a trance. She called Faith's name a few times, as if she were talking to her, but Faith wasn't answering, then Buffy looked at the window. Buffy walked outside and stood, gazing back and forth, as if she was a third party, watching two people carry on a conversation. The blonde walked back inside and stood staring at a spot on the bed. She just stood there, staring at that spot, like she was frozen. For an hour she stood there, staring, and the others grew tired of waiting, so they started searching, but when Buffy stirred again, they immediately started watching again.

Buffy watched as some invisible figure walked back over to the door.

_Faith looked out into the street through the peep hole and was startled. She jumped to the side, hiding as the door opened. Buffy saw the figure in a trenchcoat and a green scarf. They seemed familiar somehow, but Buffy couldn't place them. The figure looked to the side, at the broken door. The intruder had a distinctly feminine figure, so it was obviously a woman. She pulled out a revolver and pointed it at the door._

_ Buffy knew it was futile, Faith couldn't hear her, couldn't see her. But Buffy tried to warn her anyway._

_ "Faith!" she screamed, and neither Faith nor the shooter reacted._

The gang flinched as Buffy screamed Faith's name and ran for the door, which was still open.

_Buffy ran towards the figure and tried to tackle her, but Buffy was only witnessing a memory. She sailed through the woman who wasn't there and landed on the porch hard, knocking her shoulder out of place, but Buffy felt no pain greater than when she saw the gun light up. She never heard the shot, she'd hit her head on the cement, and was dazed, momentarily losing her hearing, but it happened so perfectly it seemed symbolic, like it wasn't real, just a silent black-and-white movie._

_ Buffy saw the hole in the door, and watched as the woman walked around the door. Buffy got up quickly and followed her inside. Buffy saw Faith staring at her shooter, and saw the fear in her eyes, and the regret. Buffy knew exactly what Faith was regretting. Faith was about to die, and she'd never even told Buffy she loved her. If she could change that, she would. If the Powers That Be would just take this small mercy on her, she'd tell Buffy she loved her and never stop saying it._

_ Faith was suddenly overcome with the urge, as if Buffy could actually hear her right now._

_ "Buffy... I love you. I love you so-"_

_ Again, Buffy didn't hear the shot, but she could still see Faith's head fly backward, see the blood pooling out onto the floor. But what drew Buffy's attention even more than Faith's very narrowly averted demise was a flash of red hair that slipped out from underneath the hood of the coat, and Buffy saw red. Not the red of Faith'sblood, the life energy streaming freely from the woman Buffy loved more than life itself. And not the red of the hair that ignited a fury inside Buffy, but the red of that same fury itself. It paralyzed her as she realized she _had_ seen that specific scarf and trenchcoat before, and she now remembered where._

Willow and Xander jumped to help Buffy as they heard her shoulder pop out of place as she hit the front porch.

Giles held them back, though, knowing they had to let Buffy see everything. Buffy screamed and held her hand up at something that obviously terrified her. If they didn't need to know everything Buffy could find out, they'd have been worried that the neighbors were standing outside, watching the crazy girl screaming all through Faith's apartment.

Buffy walked back inside, following something, but she looked resigned, as though she finally realized she couldn't change anything.

The Slayer flinched, though, when she saw something that obviously hurt her, and tears started flowing.

"She must have just seen the second shot." Giles whispered.

"God." Willow said, her own eyes watering up at the thought of what horrors Buffy must be witnessing.

"Buffy..." Xander whispered.

_The flash of red hair sparked recognition in Buffy, and she denied it at first, refusing to believe it, but her findings didn make sense._

_ Willow had motive: she was in love with Buffy, and Faith had her. Take Faith out, and Buffy would be all alone, and Willow could even be the shoulder to cry on, which would help her own agenda even more._

_ Willow had grabbed that same scarf and trenchcoat as she walked out of her room that night._

_ And Willow didn't have an alibi. Not unless the shopkeeper could prove Willow was there, helping him with the painting of the abandoned book store._

They saw something else in Buffy's eyes. Fury, pure, unbridled fury, and Willow was suddenly terrified. She had no idea what Buffy had seen, but it was obviously enfuriating, and what's more, Buffy looked... betrayed.

_Buffy watched the whole scene unfold, watched Willow trash Faith's apartment. She just threw everything all over the place, didn't take anything, just broke it she was satisfied thepolice would think it was just a robbery, Willow left without another action. Buffy ran over to Faith and laid down beside her, sobbing,just looking int her unblinking, dying eyes._

When Buffy laid down on the ground near where Faith was found, they knew the vision was almost over, and it was, though Buffy stayed laying down where she was long after Faith faded from her sight, and color returned to the world as daylight streamed in through the windows.

Finally, when Buffy couldn't possibly cry anymore, she got up and slowly turned towards Willow.

"You." was all Buffy could bring herself to say.

Willow felt the intensity of Buffy's gaze, and if looks could kill, Willow would have just died a million slow and painful deaths at once.

"Buffy?" Willow asked, backing up slowly, terrified.

"You." Buffy's voice was the deadly calm before the storm that shook the Earth and took thousands of lives.

"What is it, Buffy?" Xander asked.

"Perhaps she's still in the vision." Giles suggested.

"No, she's back." Willow said, comprehending what Buffy was thinking suddenly, and she choked up, hurt. Her face grew red with grief, knowing that she'd lost Buffy's trust and her friendship.

"And what's more? She thinks _I_ shot Faith." Willow sobbed.

"What?" Giles asked.

"Come on, Buffy, that's ridiculous!" Xander added angrily.

"I saw you." Buffy said, ignoring the guys, still talking to Willow, walking slowly ever closer.

"But I was at home! With you! You were there with me!"

"What about when you left? You were gone for a few hours. And you wore a trenchoat and a green scarf. Just like the one who shot Faith."

"Buf Buffy! I didn't kill Faith! I couldn't! She means too much to you!"

"Love makes people do crazy things." Buffy agreed.

Willow was silent.

_She knows!_ Willow thought, horrified.

"Buffy, what are you talking about?!" Xander shouted.

Buffy turned to the guys. "Willow's in love with me! And Faith knew it!" Buffy turned back to Willow. "I watched your conversation with Faith after I got in the car, the other me, I mean. Faith _knew_ you were in love with me. You just couldn't stand that Faith loved me just as much as I love her, so you were angry when she told you to stay away from me. You disappeared for a couple hours conveniently, wearing the exact same thing the shooter was wearing! Plus you had the motive!"

Buffy stopped inching towards Willow and collapsed on the bed, sobbing yet again.

"But why?" Buffy begged her. "Why? I mean you had the motive, sure, but... why? How could you do it? How could you bring youself to... to... to kill?! And how could you meet my eyes the whole time we were near each other, when we were in the hospital, how could you look me in the eyes and try to comfort me, as if nothing had happened?!"

"Buffy, you know me better than that! You know I couldn't have done that if I'd killed anyone, let alone Faith!" Willow begged her to see reason, and looked at the guys, pleading with them to help her. But they didn't know what to believe. They didn't want to believe that Willow could kill anyone, let alone a friend, but Buffy was _so_ convinced it was her, and Buffy wouldn't turn on Willow without undeniable proof.

"I wish I knew that was true, Will." Buffy said solemly. "I don't know whether or not I know you after all."

"Wait!" Willow said, suddenly thinking of something that might help make her case. "When I was in town, helping that shop owner paint the book store! Mrs. Summers was driving by, and we talked for a little bit! She'll tell you I was there!" Willow, and everyone else grew hopeful, even Buffy. She wanted to find who tired to kill Faith, but she didn't want the truth to be Willow. Buffy grabbed her phone and called her mom, who picked up quickly.

_"Buffy?"_

"Mommy?"

_"Are you alright, Buffy?"_

"Mommy, I need to ask you something."

_"Of course, Buffy. Anything."_

"Mom, did you go for a drive last night?"

_"Yes, I had to get a gallon of milk. Dawn used the rest in her cereal."_

"Did you see Willow anywhere?"

Joyce thought for a minute. _"No. I can't say I did. I don't think so. Why?"_

"Nothing. Thanks, Mom." Buffy slowly set her phone down on the bed beside her, then looked up at Willow again.

"She never saw you." Buffy said.

Willow was horrifed. _Why would Joyce lie about seeing me?!_ "Wait! I remember where the store is! We can go over there and talk to the owner!"

"Why should I believe you, Willow?" Buffy asked.

"Buff!" Xander said.

"Buffy, perhaps it wouldn't be the worst idea to check on Willow's alibi with the store owner. Your mother may have simply forgotten she saw Willow at the store, she may have been preoccupied at the time."

Buffy let Giles' cool head prevail. She nodded and grabbed Willow a little too harshly, but Willow forgave her instantly, she knew Buffy was grieving.

Willow directed them to the shop she'd helped paint, and specifically pointed out the still partially wet red paint. They went inside and Willow called out.

"Hello? Ha! I knew paintin' that disgrace next door would draw in some customers!" The shop owner grinned as he walked up to the front desk.

"Hello. It's me, Willow. Remember me?" Willow asked him.

"Oh right! You're that girl who wanted that refund on a phone you broke!" The owner growled. "What was that model again?"

"No! I'm the girl who was helping you paint the store next door yesterday!"

The owner smiled apologetically. "Sorry, my mistake. I remember now! Yeah, had quite an interesting conversation while we worked, didn't we? All about some girl you liked?"

Willow blushed slightly, but nodded.

"Yeah. That was interesting alright." Willow mumbled.

"My apologies. The one who wanted a refund was some girl, 'bout your age, named Lily. Lily... Oh, I don't know, something or other. Anyway, she looked a lot like you. Right down to the fair skin and red hair. Straight, though, liked guys, not girls."

"Wait, you don't have problems with gay people?" Buffy asked, bewildered.

"Nah. Way I see it, any money's good money. Don't care who they are, just as long as they pay me. I don't get those other blokes who're always turnin' gays away, just 'cause they don't like it. Turnin' away customers, losin' money that way! Plus, if you don't support the gays, you'll also lose the customership of the Gay Rights supporters, which makes you lose more money. Really, money's all I care about, 'cause it's all I got!" the owner laughed, but his eyes held sadness. Buffy could feel it.

"Well, Buffy, I'd say Willow's alibi checks out." Giles said softly.

Buffy nodded and let go of Willow.

"Will, I'm so sorry..." Buffy said, tears once again welling up in her eyes.

"Buffy..." Willow muttered, then embraced her friend. She hugged Buffy tightly, not letting go, knowing Buffy needed it.

"Shhh. It's okay, Buffy. It's okay." Willow said, but it just made Buffy sob more and more hysterically.

"No it's not!" Buffy shouted, and pushed Willow away.

"Buffy, I don't blame you for-"

"No! You don't get it! I thought it was you, Will! I thought _you_ did it!"

"Buffy, I know."

"No! Let me finish! I thought _you_ tried to kill Faith! I didn't _want_ it to be you, but I _thought_ it was! And I was _relieved_!" Buffy collapsed to the ground, hugging her gut while the others, including the shop owner, froze. They hadn't expected that.

"Buffy... wha-?"

"I was relieved, because I thought I'd found the one who tried to take Faith from me." Buffy said softly, her body nearly vibrating, she was shaking so badly. "I thought I'd gotten justice for Faith, but I failed. I don't have any other ideas who it could be. I can't think of any other girls with red hair at all, let alone any who'd want to hurt Faith."

Just then, Willow had an idea.

"Wait, what if it wasn't a redhead you saw?"

"What?" Buffy asked, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

"Well, what if it was someone wearing a wig?" Willow asked.

"A wig?"

"Yes! Who else would want to hurt Faith? It doesn't have to be a redhead, not if she was wearing a wig."

"Anyone, really. Gays aren't exactly well-loved, you know. Could have been a hate crime."

"Did anyone else _know_ Faith was gay?"

"I don't know if she told anybody else. The only people I know of that knew we were gay before she was shot are you, Dawn and Mom, but Dawn's too short, she's only 4' 7", this woman was more like 5' 6". That's about your height, Willow, but it wasn't you, you have an alibi now. And Mom was in town, too. You said so, and so did she." Buffy hugged her knees and started rocking.

"Well, to be fair, we only spoke for, like, five minutes before she drove off. But she did say she had some shopping to do when she hurried off. She said she had to go clothes shopping, that she needed a new dress for some new opening exhibit at the museum or something, and she was a major contributor, or something to that effect."

"Yeah. My mom told me about that weeks ago. And, as usual, she put the shopping off until the last minute." There was no humor in her voice.

"Well, we still have the red wig to go on." Giles said. "Perhaps Faith did tell someone, or let it slip, and others overheard it. As you said, homosexuals aren't well loved in today's social pyramid, and hate crimes against them are almost as popular as they were only ten, twenty years ago against the African American population."

"Giles, please don't say homosexual." Buffy said. "It makes it sound like some kid of disease."

"My apologies. But I say we should check every wig shop in town, see if maybe someone purchased a red wig similar to Willow's hairstyle."

Buffy nodded in agreement. There was that small hope that they could find the shooter that way.


	7. Chapter 7

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**Chapter 7**

Buffy dreamt of Faith. Faith's hair. The way it seemed to capture the moonlight and shine, even though it was darker than the sky around the moon. The way it smelled like incense, though she thought aromatherapy was a waste of time and money, and she was around death all the time, yet even rotting flesh and vamp dust couldn't dull the dark, enchanting glow or the exciting and relaxing smell of Faith's hair.

Faith's eyes. Her deep green eyes that you could easily get lost in, and never find your way back out. Gorgeous emerald pools of timelessness. The eyes that, even when the rest of her face was masked by calmness, gave away whatever she was feeling, and told stories of pain Faith couldn't bring herself to give voice to.

Faith's smile. Her amazingly bringht smile that always seemed sincere, even when it wasn't. The smile that showed her pearly white teeth and could blind you if you stared at them too long. The smile that was as mysterious as that of the Mona Lisa, if not smile that created dimples on her face that would win even the most cold-hearted demon's soul and eternal adoration.

Faith's skin. Her white flesh that was not pale, but fair. The skin that was always perfect, even if it had bruises or cuts all over it. Soft, silky, smooth, and showing every single rippling muscle with such elegance that made her as a jellyfish, stunningly beautiful, yet deadly at the same time.

Faith's body. If Buffy had her way, Faith would never cover her body, but show it off for all to see, for Buffy to see all the time. Tall, muscular, yet lean. The things Faith could do with her body made Buffy's head spin. The way her body moved to the music, swaying in perfect time, and in just the right way that anyone paying attention to her would find themselves completely and undeniably aroused.

And most important of all was Faith's heart. The heart that was difficult to win, but once you had it, you owned it. She didn't let just anybody into her heart, but once you were inside, you were never getting out of it. Her heart was the most beautiful thing about her. Faith rarely showed her emotions, her heart, but when she did, she showed her entire heart. She held nothing back.

Who was Buffy Anne Summers? What was she? What could she possibly offer such a perfect angel? Buffy felt that she paled in comparison to Faith's extraterrestrial beauty, that Faith was a Goddess to be worshipped, loved and feared, not some mere mortal to be kept in a shell.

Buffy dreamt of all of this and more. She and Faith were patrolling together. The vamps were pathetic, they barely even had to try to slay them. Mostly, Buffy and Faith just walked andtalked, hand in hand.

They talked about anything that came to their minds no matter how small. Just to hear each other's voice, and relish the heavenly sound of their love.

They gave up on patrol when no more vampires dared approach them, and simply walked in the full moon light. They walked across a wooden bridge Buffy didn't know existed in Sunnydale. They stopped halfway and looked out over the river, the moonlight reflecting off the rippling surface. Nothing was said. Nothing needed to be said. No words could be used todescribe how they felt in that moment. Buffy couldn't simply used the word "happy" or "love". These words meant something, but they didn't hold nearly enough meaning to describe this moment. Time simply stood still. Neither of them thought anything, they just watched the world turn. They watched the water ripple everytime a fish or a frog would jump. They watched the trees dance when a beeze blew through them and blew Faith's hair back, exposing her for the sheer beauty she was. They listened to the songs of nature. They heard a coyote howl in the distance, though in this moment, it resembled that of a wolf so closely. They heard crickets chirp, and owls hoot.

Everything hummed in perfect equilibrium.

And then Buffy woke up. She looked at the empty spot next to her in her bed in Willow's room. Buffy had never slept with anyone in the bed, she wasn't used to it, so why was she so disappointed when Faith wasn't there? They'd only ever layed together once. It wasn't something they'd grown accustomed to. So why?

Buffy was alone, except for the sound of Willow breathing on the other side of the room. She's only even slept with someone else in the room two other times, once with Faith, once with Angel, she'd always slept alone. But the room had never seemed so empty before.

It was a silent cry, but all the more grief-filled. Buffy didn't whimper or whine, or weep, or scream, or cry out. She just shed tears, and her heart had never felt so broken before. To have had such a perfect moment with the one who owned her heart, and to realize it was just a dream. There was no torture greater.

Buffy swore to herself that she'd get justice for Faith. Faith would be avenged. And Faith would wake up, and they'd have that perfect moment. And it wouldn't be just a dream.


	8. Chapter 8

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**Chapter 8**

Eight Months Later...

The gang had been looking through wig shops for eight months. They'd never noticed how many there were in Sunnydale before, but they were beginning to realize why the town was so creepy.

Faith opened her eyes slowly, then, blinded by the harsh light reflected by the endless white surrounding her, she shut them again quickly.

Buffy decided they'd check one more, then call it quits for the day.

She opened them again, little by little, allowing herself to adjust to the light. She felt something was missing, but she didn't know what that was.

She asked the shop owner if he'd sold any red wigs to anyone eight months ago, but she didn't hear the answer. Her attention was drawn elsewhere. Towards a place she'd been visiting every day for the past ten months.

Faith looked around, not knowing where she was, why she was here, or what was missing. She wished she could remember something, but she just... couldn't.

Buffy didn't stick around to hear the answer repeated. She took off running as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn't think to call Willow, or Dawn, or Xander, or Giles. She just ran. Ran towards Faith, who Buffy somehow knew had just woken up.

Faith sat up in bed, disoriented. She hung her legs over the side of the bed. She was in some kind of hospital room. What was that in her nose? She pulled it out. Oh. Tubes. What about her arm? Oh. More tubes. She pulled them out too.

Buffy passed buildings so fast they blurred together into nothing more than a concrete wall. She knocked people over on accident, but didn't notice enough to apologize.

Faith touched the floor with her bare feet, then recoiled. It was so cold. She tried it again, hissing as the freezing cold floor hit her bare feet again, but she didn't pull back this time.

BAM! Another nameless face hit the ground as Buffy rounded a corner, and didn't stopto apologize. She had a mission, and nothing would stand in her way.

Faith tried to stand, finding herself weaker than she normally was. Then again, she didn't even know how strong she normally was, so she couldn't really say that.

BAM! BAM! Two more passersby hit the cement, and when they looked to see what had hit them, they saw nothing. Whoever it was was gone in a flash.

Faith managed somehow to support her weight on her thin legs. She stumbled over to the bathroom, knocking over the EKG on her way, and fell down in front of the toilet, retching into the porcelain bowl. A nurse came in, hearing the commotion, and gasped.

Buffy made it to the parking lot, then into the hospital, and ran right past the front desk, having only one destination. The lady at the front desk called security, but Buffy ran past them, too.

The nurse called for a doctor to come see to Faith, but someone burst into the room, startling Faith. A blonde girl, severly out of breath stepped slowly into the bathroom after seeing Faith on the ground. The blonde gasped, tears in her eyes. Tears of joy. Faith wondered who she was.

"Faith." the blonde gasped. She knelt on the ground in front of Faith, and the raven-haired girl slowly started backing away.

If eight long months without hearing Faith's voice exceptin her dreams hurt, the way Faith didn't even seem to recognize her killed Buffy. Then, she remembered. One of the bullets had gone into Faith's brain. She might not remember anything.

Buffy started sobbing with grief again. Faith was right there, yet even in the previous eight months, she hadn't seemed quite this far away.

The blonde seemed to recognize her. It was obviously hurting her that Faith didn't know her, but Faith couldn't control that. She didn't know much of anything. Then, the dreams started coming back to her. She'd been having these two dreams for a long time. The blonde girl was with her in both of them.

In the first dream, she and the blonde were walking across a bridge. They were holding hands. They were happy. No. They were more than happy. Happy couldn't begin to describe how they felt. They stopped in the middle of the bridge and gazed out over a river. It was pretty. But not as pretty as the blonde. Faith suddenly recalled the blonde's name. Buffy.

"Buffy." Faith whispered, and Buffy perked up. The name... it felt good to say. It felt good rolling off her tongue, so she said it again.

"Buffy." She said, slightly more than a whisper. It felt even better this time, and Faith's insides were screaming to touch the blonde girl in front of her, who's hand was reaching slowly for Faith's face, not wanting toscare her away. Buffy's hand caressed Faith's cheek, and the raven-haired girl pressed her face into the hand on instinct. She smelled good, but then the second dream came back to her

Buffy looked up slowly when Faith whispered her name. She began to hope, but it was barely a hope. Then, Faith said it again, as if it sounded odd, but the look on her face said it felt good to say it, like it was a word she'd been trying so hard to think of, and now that she had, she had to say it again, it brought her such relief. Buffy slowly reached for Faith, and touched her cheek. Faith leaned into the touch on pure instinct, not knowing why other than it felt right.

Buffy, the blonde girl who was softly touching her, obviously wanting to pull her closer, but not knowing if she should or not, was in a room with Faith. Between them was a bed. They were making the bed.

"Hey, B."

"Yeah, Faith?"

"After we're done making this bed, wanna... un-make it?" Faith wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Buffy blushed.

"Sounds good to me." Buffy agreed. "But... there's just one problem."

"What's that?" Faith asked, then Buffy glanced down at the bed. Blood dripped down onto the white sheets.

"Damn. We just made that." Faith said, then noticed the blood dripping from her gut. There was something inside her, and not in a good way. "Ouch." Faith said, then got a splitting headache, and more blood dripped onto the sheets.

Faith looked up at Buffy and saw a small gun in her hand, the barrel was smoking. She looked at Buffy's face and saw a steely reflection of her.

_Buffy shot me?_ Faith asked herself

Faith wasn't thinking clearly after only just having woken up from her coma. If she was, she'd know that sometimes Slayer dreams revealed the truth, but as a metaphor. She'd know that there was no way Buffy would have shot her, _could_ have shot her. But Faith wasn't thinking clearly as she flinched back and stared at Buffy in fear.

Buffy teared up again when Faith flinched away. She'd been back, she'd recognized Buffy, but then something happened, and Buffy would have killed toget back the telepathy she'd recieved from that demon for a day just so she could find what Faith was thinking. Buffy pulled her hand away, though it killed her, and though she tried to be strong, tried to fight the tears away, they fell anyway.

Faith watched Buffy's tears fall, and something stirred inside her. No, Buffy couldn't have shot her. If she had, Faith's heart wouldn'tbe breaking, seeing her cry. Her gut wouldn't be turning, screaming at her to stop Buffy's tears, to touch her, comfort her. In her uncertainty and confusion after waking up, she trusted only her instincts, and they told her to tust Buffy. That Buffy wouldn't hurt her. Faith let her hand move of its own free will. It reached up and cupped Buffy's cheek, the tears collecting around the top of Faith's hand and following the edge around to the side, then dripping off. Buffy hesitantly, not wanting to scare Faith away again, leaned into the touch and sighed when Faith didn't pull away.

Buffy's hope, despite her not wanting to feel any hope right now, for fear it would be ripped away, returned. She kissed Faith's hand just as Faith had one hers, but Faith didn't stop herself from pulling Buffy closer.

Faith pulled Buffy closer when the blonde kissed her hand. It just felt right. But Faith didn't need to pull for long, because at the slightest pressure of her hand onthe back of the blonde's head, Buffy leaned in quickly and wrapped her arms around Faith lovingly as they kissed.

Buffy took it slowly, easing into it, even though her body, her lips were begging her to go deeper. She'd been eight long months without Faith's touch. She couldn't go another day. As it happened, Faith seemed to understand Buffy's inner war, maybe even had one of her own going on, as Faith was the one to deepen the kiss, placing her hands on Buffy's waist and pulling her flush against her body, melting seamlessly into each other.

Buffy obliged when Faith licked Buffy's lower lip, seeking entrance, and moaned when she finally felt Faith's tongue embrace hers, and they continued to kiss. Unfortunately, security finally showed up at that exact moment. They pulled Buffy away from Faithkicking and screaming hysterically, and the two Slayers held each other's hands tightly, refusing to let go. But Faith was still weak. She only woke up not even half an hour ago, and she hadn't eaten or even exercised yet to get back any of her strength. Her grip failed, and Buffy slipped away, dragged away by the cruel, heartless security guards.

Faith suddenly found herself all alone, even though several nurses and doctors were trying fruitlessly to help Faith stand and return to the bed. They had to check her out to see if she was having any problems, but they didn't get it. Faith only had one problem. Buffy wasn't here. They wouldn't listen to her when she begged them to bring Buffy back.

Buffy was literally thrown out of the hospital, and the situation was so strengely reminiscent of her and Faith getting thrown out of the Bronze that she couldn't help but laugh. But when she stopped laughing, she got back up and tried to get past security again. She had to get back to Faith.

"No! Put me down! She needs me!" Buffy screamed, begging the guards to let her return to Faith. She drew the attention of everyone on that floor, patients, doctors, nurses and security included. She hit them,trying desperately to get back to Faith. It wasn't fair. She just got Faith back. They couldn't separate them again. Not now. Yet, Buffy found herself staring at bars as the cops arrested her and put her in a cell. She was tempted to use her one phone call to call the hospital and beg to talk to Faith, but she listened to reason instead. She called Giles.

"Hello? Buffy? Is something wrong? Did you find something?"

"Damn right something's wrong. Yes, I found something. I found Faith."

"What?"

"Faith's awake."

"What?!" Giles asked, excitedly. "But what's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with that is that I went to her, but security dragged me away from her."

"My god. Buffy, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah. Then when I tried to get back to her, the hospital called the cops, so I'm going to need you to bail me out Giles. I hate to bother you with this but-"

"No no no! I completely understand Buffy. Absolutely. I'll, um... I'll come and get you, and we'll, calmly, go back and see Faith."

Buffy noticed he stressed the word _calmly_.

"Thanks, Giles. I gotta go, though. My jailed is angrily tapping his watch telling me to hurry up. Just... just hurry."

"Of course." Buffy hung up the phone and let herself be escorted back to her cell.

Giles got there not even thirty minutes later. He paid bail, filled out some paperwork and took Buffy back to the hospital.

Security tried to grab Buffy, but Giles held them back. "It's okay. We're here to see Faith Lehane."

The lady at the desk reluctantly searched through her computer.

"I'm sorry, we don't have a Faith Lehane registered."

Buffy sank into confusion.

"Oh, my mistake. Perhaps she's under Giles. Faith Giles?"

The lady searched again.

"Okay. Yes, we have a Faith Giles registered."

Buffy smacked her forehead. She'd forgotten that Giles adopted Faith to save her. Luckily the Watcher's Council found out about Faith, and wanted their second Slayer to survive. They provided the funding Giles needed to keep Faith alive.

"We're here to see her." Giles said. Buffy decided to let Giles do the talking. He was obviously a lot calmer and collected than she was.

"Are you her... father?" the lady asked hopefully. Obviously, there was a picture of Faith. And she was obviously way too young to be Giles' girlfriend or wife.

"Yes, adopted." Giles assured her, and she sighed in relief.

"Okay, just fill out this paperwork." she handed Giles a few papers. He filled them out, and security let them up.

When Buffy got to Faith, she was enraged. Doctors were swarming her again. Faith wasn't fighting back, she was lying perfectly still, as if she was back in the coma.

Buffy slammed her fists on the glass, and one of the doctors came outside to see what she was fussing about.

"What the hell are you guys doing to her in there?!" Buffy screamed. Giles didn't even try to stop her. But the doctor ignored her and spoke only to Giles.

"Sir, are you aware of anything... special... about your daughter?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Well, as you're aware, standard procedure dictates that we check her vitals before we release her. We were expecting _some_ differences between her and normal, considering she just got out of a coma but..."

"But what?"

"There's nothing. No differences. She's weak, of course. She hadn't moved her muscles in eight months, but her systems all check out fine."

"Then what on Earth are you doing?"

"Well, that's the problem. This just... doesn't happen. I've looked at her charts, read what put her in here, put her in the coma. But she has no scarring at all. Flesh, or internal. No cerebral scarring or anything. We want to find out why. Maybe if we can figure out what we did that healed her so fast, we can duplicate the process with other patients."

"Trust me. It's nothing you did." Giles said. "She's just an amazingly fast healer. Always has been. She doesn't scar as easily as a bullet."

"Well, we'd just like to make sure. That's why we had to sedate her. She was making the study too difficult."

"By god, bring her out of it!"

"I'm afraid we can't do that until the study is complete."

Giles only lost his temper for a second. But in that second, there were three hits. Giles' fist hitting the doctor's face, the doctor hitting the opposit wall, then the doctor falling and hitting the ground, unconscious.

Buffy respected Giles even more than she always had.

Buffy and Giles stormed into the room and pushed the doctors away, unhooking every machine they'd hooked up to Faith. Buffy shook Faith awake and looked into her eyes again.

"You... you came back." Faith said sleepily.

"Of course I came back." Buffy said softly.

"Here." Giles handed Buffy a bag. "I stopped by Faith's apartment and grabbed her some clothes on my way to pick you up. Thought you'd both want to get her out of that gown as soon as possible."

Buffy mouthed a thanks as she carried Faith to the bathroom. Giles waited in the room after Buffy closed the door, respecting their privacy.

Faith felt oddly comfortable when Buffy started slipping the gown off over her head. Faith wasn't wearing anything underneathe it, yet she felt comfortable knowing it was Buffy that was going to see her bare body.

She felt slightly awkward when Buffy had the gown completely off and didn't move, just stared at Faith. She still wasn't completely sure about Buffy, so she was slightly nervous as Buffy just stared at her body, but upon seeing Buffy's face, she felt the nervousness fade. She felt like now was the time she'd usually make some sarcastic joke or comment to lighten the mood, but something told her Buffy wanted to take this moment seriously. So she stayed silent.

Buffy recovered from the shock eventually, and she pressed herself against Faith, embracing her tightly, unwilling to let go again. They kissed, hungrily, and they knew that if they didn't leave soon, they would be in this bathroom for a while, so kissing was all they did... for now.

"Faith, I love you. I love you so much." Buffy whispered, and it all came back to Faith. Every bit of everything. Buffy. Faith's girlfriend. Faith's love. Willow. Buffy's best friend. The one who was in love with Buffy, but knew she belonged to Faith, and vice versa. Xander. Buffy's other best friend. The semi-pervy geek that Faith had lots of fun teasing, but knew they had each other's backs. Giles. The "father figure". Annoying at times with his British accent and his unwavering sense of duty, but fiercly loyal to Buffy and those around her, the only thing stronger than his sense of duty. Dawn. Buffy's awesome little sister who looked up to Faith as though she were her other big sister. Joyce. Buffy's mom. The one who had cared for Faith when she showed up, but now couldn't stand Buffy or Faith at all due to their newfound relationship.

Gunshots. Two of them. They burned like fire, but not nearly as much as the fact that she'd never said I love you to Buffy.

"Faith?" Buffy asked, and Faith came out of her trance. "You... better?" Buffy said, knowing that Faith was far from okay.

"I... I love you, too, Buffy." The words brought tears to Buffy's eyes, and Buffy realized how tired she was of crying today, but these were good tears. They kissed again, and anytime they'd surface for air, Faith would say it again.

Finally, they separated, and Buffy helped Faith get her clothes on. They stepped out of the bathroom and Faith walked up and hugged Giles. The doctors were gone.

Buffy and Giles helped Faith walk out of the hospital, and out to Giles' car, then Giles went back inside to fill out the release paperwork. It didn't take long, but it felt like forever the way Faith and Buffy wanted each other so badly.

"B..." Faith said weakly.

"Yes?"

"What... What's the apartment look like?"

"It looked like crap after... Well, anyway, whoever did it ransacked the place, trying to make it look like a robbery, not a..."

"A murder?"

Buffy nodded. "So the police did a short investigation, but couldn't figure out what was taken, so they couldn't figure out whodid it, so they dropped the investigation. But we never did. Not once we found out what actually happened."

"H-how'd you figure it out?"

"We went to the apartment and looked around. But then I got this vision. I saw your memory of... that night. I watched you talk to me when Will and I came over, and I watched your conversation with Will... the one I couldn't hear before because I was in the car."

"Then... Then you know..."

Buffy nodded again. "Yeah I know. But I never acted on it." Buffy added as an afterthought.

"Didn't think you would."

"I know... I just... I had to say it out loud... Anyway. I saw it all. All of it." Faith got the feeling Buffy wasn't just talking about her conversation with Willow. And Faith realized what she _was_ talking about.

"Oh my god. Buffy." Faith teared up as well and hugged Buffy.

"Okay, this is, like, backwards day. You got shot and you're comforting me?"

"Yeah." Faith said. "So what happened after?"

"Well, I saw a flash of red hair, so I thought it was Willow at first."

"You did?"

"Yeah. But she had an alibi, so I let her off the hook. I couldn't think of anyone else with red hair that'd want to hurt you, so we started looking for red wigs. We narrowed it down by looking for wigs that'd been sold that looked something like Willow's hair, but all the red wigs that had been sold then looked nothing like Will's."

"Buffy, you keep talking like I got shot a long time ago. How long was I out?"

Buffy had been waiting for this question. When Faith hadn't asked it right away, she thought she didn't want to know.

"Ei... Eight months."

Faith's face paled. Eight months. No wonder she felt weak.

"And you..."

Buffy nodded. "I waited for you."

Faith nodded, thankful. Eight months is a long time to wait.

"My birthday was only two weeks after..."

"We celebrated. There was a party. Streamers. There was a cake. I baked it myself. No one ate it, but it was there. We played music."

"Was it any fun?"

"No. Kind of hard to have fun at a birthday party without the birthday girl. But you didn't really miss anything. Just the sun coming up in the mornind and going down at night. There wasn't even any decent sunsets to watch. It's like the whole world stopped having fun so you wouldn't miss anything."

"You should have at least tried to have fun."

"I did. I tried." Faith looked at Buffy like 'Yeah right.' "Okay, I didn't really try. But I wouldn't have been very successful, anyway."

"Doesn't matter. You should have tried to have enough fun for both of us. I don't want the world to stop turning on my account."

"Well, it did."

Then came the question Buffy had been afraid to answer.

"So who did it?"

Buffy remained silence, but that was an answer itself.

"You don't know, do you?"

"We're no closer to finding out than we were eight months ago. I feel like I've let you down."

"Don't worry about it. We'll find her."

"So you know it's a woman?"

"Yeah. Too thin around the torso and big around the chest to be a man. Do you even have any suspects?"

"There were two."

"Who?"

"Willow and... my mom."

"What?!" That got Faith to turn and look directly at her, but Buffy wouldn't meet her gaze.

"They had the motive. Willow's in love with me, and you told her off, plus, get rid of you, and I'd grieve. She could have been my shoulder to cry on, and we might haveended up together. At least, that would have been Willow's reasoning. My mom's motive would be our argument. She's homophobic, so if she got rid of you, I might go back to being straight. Plus it would have been revenge for 'defiling me'."

"Good motives." Faith agreed.

"Well, they both have alibis. I checked them both out. Willow was gone from the house at the time, but she was helping some guy paint a store. Talked to him, and he recognized her. My mom was dress shopping for that opening of the new artifact exhibit at the museum. Dress shopping takes forever for her. She'd have been there all night, and I saw the dress she got. It was nice. Something like that would have taken forever to find, and then forever for my mom to decide to buy it. Besides. I talked to Dawn, and mom left the house around eight o' clock and got back around ten. Even if she'd gotten to the store, just picked up the first dress she saw and walked out, she wouldn't have had enough time to get to your apartment, on the other side of town from the store, shoot you, ransack your apartment, and get back by ten. There just wasn't enough time, even if she took every shortcut. And my mom doesn't even know all the shortcuts. I saw your memory of the attack. The person who shot you was Willow's height, with red hair. Dawn is too short, plus she doesn't know how to shoot a gun, so she was never even a suspect. And everyone knows I wouldn't hurt you, so I wasn't a suspect either."

Faith nodded. "Looks like that outs everyone. They're either too tall, too short, men or have alibis. So it's gotta be someone we don't even know."

"Exactly. We've spent the last eight months searching all the wig shops, which you'd be surprised how many there are here in Sunnydale, and no one sold any red wigs any time around then. THere are only a few more to go, and the guys are checking them out right now. If they don't find anything, then we're looking for a redhead."

"What about dyes?"

"Not likely. I only saw a glimpse, but the red looked natural to me. Different shades, and not highlights. It wasn't a solid color."

"So it's definitely a redhead or someone wearing a wig made from real hair."

"Yup."

Giles walked back out and got in the car, noticing Buffy and Faith were both in the back, neither of them in front. Of course, he'd expected that.

"Well, we're all done here." Giles said, then started the car, backed out of the parking space, and drove away.


	9. Chapter 9

Unsupportive

**Chapter 9**

Giles dropped Faith and Buffy off at Faith's apartment, knowing they could use the alone time, and knowing full well, though he refused to think about it, what they intended to use that time for.

They waited until he was out of sight, then they walked into Faith's apartment. Faith's eyes went wide as she saw the inside.

"I thought you said it lookedlike a hurricane came through here."

"Well, I never used those words, but it did. But... I haven't been able to sleep much lately, so at night, when Willow's asleep, I come over here and clean up a bit. You'll probably change things around a bit to suit you better, but I thought you'd want to come home to a clean apartment, not a ransacked pigstye."

"Buffy, you did more than clean. You painted my walls."

"Well, I may have gotten a little carried away."

"I... I'm shocked."

"About what?"

"That you didn't use pink."

Buffy grinned. "I was tempted, as a joke. But I wanted you to have a nice homecoming. Do you like it?"

Faith looked around. She had a new bed. A large bed. King sized. It had a sturdy wooden headboard, and slats going from top to bottom. She had a matching oak nightstand and dresser, along with a large flat-screen tv. The walls were painted a smooth light brown brown with beige curtains over her windows, and the carpet had been replaced with a dark brown carpet.

"I was going to go with black, but when Giles saw me doing this, he said black was too depressing, and that brown might make you feel more welcome."

"Smart man." Faith whisered.

"Do you like it?" Buffy asked hopefully. Faith's face was expressionless.

"I... I can't believe you did this for me."

"Of course I did."

"I... I love it." Faith said quietly, in awe. Then, she looked back at Buffy. "Almost as much as I love you."

They couldn't wait any longer. They didn't say another word, just embraced each other and kissed.

Faith backed Buffy up against the bed, laying her down, and laying down on top of her. Buffy let Faith take control, allowing herself to be lead by the dark-haired beauty.

Faith sat up, straddling Buffy, and slipped her shirt off over her head. As Giles had only packed the bare minimum, she wore no bra, so her breasts were exposed, and Buffy's breath caught again.

Faith leaned over and kissed Buffy, her breasts hanging down and rubbing against Buffy's. She took Buffy's shirt and bra off with no hesitation, and they joined Faith's shirt on the floor.

Their jeans and Buffy's panties were next as Faith undressed them both until they were both completely bare.

They got under the covers and pressed close together. Buffy placed her left thigh in between Faith's legs and pressed up against her womanhood. Faith moaned into the kiss at the contact. Faith did the same to Buffy until they were almost straddling each other.

Buffy grabbed Faith's butt and pulled her closer, so they were pressed against each other's hip bones, the edge of them slipping slightly in between their slick folds. Faith groaned as Buffy began thrusting her hips forward, grinding against Faith's hip, and pressing her hip harder against Faith's sex. Just the smallest of movements, but it was enough. They wanted it to go slowly, to savor this moment, the moment they were reunited completely.

Faith massaged Buffy's breasts while Buffy kneaded Faith's butt, and they continued to grind against each other. Buffy turned them suddenly so Faith was laying on top of her, and she moved her legs so Faith was laying completely between them, their clits pressed against each other, and they continued their movements, moaning continuously as their tongues battled in each other's mouths. Not a single part of either of them wasn't on fire at the stimulation.

Any time either of them got anywhere near their finish, they'd stop moving and let each other cool off until they were back to square one and they began again. Neither of them were ready for this to end. They just needed to feel each other's touch.

Buffy could feel herself getting close, very close, and her climax started approaching faster and faster each time they stopped themselves. As usual, she stopped moving, expecting Faith to do the same and let her come down, but Faith only ground harder against her, and Buffy had to pull her lips away from Faiths as she moaned loudly. Faith smirked as Buffy was pushed closer and closer to the edge, until she was right on the edge, and _then_ Faith stopped moving. Buffy took time to catch her breath as she felt her orgasm slip away, slink back into its cage, waiting to be unleashed.

Faith got off of Buffy and laid down on her side. Buffy tried to switch to laying on her side as well, but Faith pushed her down. Buffy laid down, waiting for Faith to say what she wanted.

Faith pulled the blanket and sheet off of both of them so she could look at Buffy's entire body. After admiring the view for a while, Faith grabbed Buffy's wrists and placed them above Buffy's head.

"Keep 'em there." She said, and placd her right hand on Buffy's chest, just below her throat. "Don't make any sounds." They looked into each other's eyes, never looking away as Faith started dragging her hand down Buffy's body slowly.

She cupped Buffy's left breast and massaged it for a minute before slowly switching to her right breast. Buffy held true to what Faith said, using every bit of willpower she had to keep her hands above her head, and keep herself from moaning.

Faith didn't tease her, except by going slowly. Agonizingly slowly. Faith's hand continued its journey downward, slightly tickling Buffy's stomach, and she eventually found Buffy's sex. Buffy's eyes twitched adorably as Faith's middle finger barely touched Buffy's clit.

Faith pressed harder against Buffy's slit, and the blonde bit her lower lip to keep herself from moaning. Faith moved the tips of her fingers around in small circles, rubbing Buffy's slit, and her body started shaking.

The raven-haired Slayer had to force herself not to smirk as she watched Buffy's face. She stopped her movements as Buffy closed her eyes.

"Keep 'em open. Keep watching." Faith said, and she continued when Buffy opened her eyes again. The tip of Faith's middle finger found Buffy's entrance and teased it, causing Buffy's hips to buck at the sensation.

"Say my name." Faith begged, needing to hear Buffy say it. Buffy understood that it wasn't just Faith's teasing request, she really needed to hear it, so Buffy just nodded.

"Faith." Buffy whispered, the love and lust in her voice startling both Faith and herself. It sent shivers down Faith's spine hearing it, but it let her know she wasn't still asleep. This was real. This was happening for real.

Faith slipped her finger deep inside Buffy all at once, not wanting to continue her teasing. She needed to feel Buffy hug her, in every way.

Faith slowly slid her finger in and out of Buffy, allowing her ring finger to join her middle one, and Buffy continued to say Faith's name, in time with Faith's thrusts.

Buffy was barely managing to keep control over her hands, but she managed to hold on until she felt her insides begin to heat up, and her muscles contracted, and her breathing all but halted as her release came. Faith didn't stop this time, she let Buffy find her release for the first time in eight months, and after it was over, Faith slowly pulled out of Buffy and put her drenched hand on the blonde's stomach, not cleaning herself off, just laying down and relaxing.

Buffy started to try and please Faith, but she was too tired, and Faith gently grabed her wrist and set it on the bed beside her.

"Buffy, you have no idea how much more laying here with you and relaxing will help me more than that right now. Just... Just hold me." Faith begged, choking up as she finished speaking. Buffy nodded, and she pulled Faith closer and pulled the blanket back over them, and the two fell asleep in each other's arms again.

They woke up the next day, and they just stared into each other's eye, mesmerized. They kissed each other good morning, not caring that both of them had morning breath, or that Faith's hand was still sticky from last night, as was that area between Buffy's legs, which was now sticking to Faith's thigh, which had slipped in between Buffy's legs during the night. They both sighed in disappointment when the kiss ended, andthey had to get out of bed to shower.

In the shower, they couldn't keep their hands off each other, though their touches weren't sexual. They just held each other in a tight embrace with the warm water spraying down on top of them. Faith turned and grabbed a washcloth hanging from the showerhead to wash herself with, but Buffy grabbed it from her. The blonde soaped up the cloth and pressed it against Faith's back, gently washing the skin in front of her.

Faith relaxed as Buffy washed her with the soft washcloth. Buffy washed Faith's back, shoulders, arms, butt and legs slightly longer than necessary, but she was just enjoying the tender moment.

Buffy stood back up and started softly scrubbing Faith's stomach, and then her touches became sexual. Every so often, Buffy would 'accidentally' brush her hand and the cloth against the bottoms of Faith's breasts, barely more than a tickle, but enough to make Faith aware of her intentions. Unlike last night, however, Faith didn't stop her, she just leaned her head back against Buffy's shoulders and enjoyed it.

When Buffy felt that Faith's stomach had recieved enough attention, she moved the cloth up to Faith's breasts and watched as the soap on her stomach was washed away by the steady stream of water. The cloth brushed lightly against Faith's already rock-hard nipples, and she took a deep breath at the contact, then exhaled.

Buffy teased Faith's nipples through the cloth, pinching them occasionally. She kissed Faith on the forehead, causing her to smile her infectious smile and flash Buffy her dimples.

Faith was already breathing hard when Buffy finished with her breasts and slowly moved her hand, and the cloth, down to the spot her attention was needed most.

The soapy cloth slipped effortlessyly between Faith's lower lips, and the soap reduced the friction as Buffy began rubbing her in circles. Faith let out a gasp of air as Buffy pressed harder, and her hands found their way back to Buffy's hips, pulling her in so her core was pressed firmly against Faith's butt, and Buffy spread Faith's legs more in the shower to give herself better access.

Buffy backed up against the wall of the shower and continued to rub Faith between her legs. Faith was short on breath, and her breaths were becoming more and more shallow with each passing second.

"G-g-god... B-B-B-Buffy." Faith stuttered. "F-f-f-fuck..."

She could feel her insides tightening, her core heating up quickly as her climax came on strong and fast.

"Hmmm!" Faith hummed in ecstasy, trying not to scream. Finally, her entire body went rigid, and her back arched away from Buffy, her butt pressing into Buffy's core harder than before, and her grip on the blonde's hips grew tighter and tighter. Buffy continued to rub Faith's core, helping her ride out her orgasm. Finally, Faith relaxed, and Buffy had to support her to keep her from collapsing, her knees were so weak. Buffy, keeping her right arm around Faith to support her, rinsed the cloth with her left and put it back on the showerhead, then held Faith under the stream of water to finish rinsing her off.

Buffy turned the water off and helped Faith step out of the shower. She lead Faith over to the sink counter for support as Buffy dried them both off, then helped Faith back to the bed to sit down.

Buffy sat down first, then had Faith sit down on her lap.

It was an interesting turn of events. Normally, Faith was the butch one in the relationship, and it sometimes lead some people to forget that she was still just a teenage girl. Times like this meant that Buffy would have to be the strong one, and let Faith be the girl she was.

Buffy held Faith tightly, as a man might hold his wife, and Buffy found herself thinking just that thought.

_My wife._ Buffy thought, but it just didn't sound right. Faith was her girlfriend, her lover, maybe someday her fiancé, but Buffy just couldn't picture them actually married. It didn't make her love Faith any less, she knew they'd be together forever, but, especially with the past eight months they'd had, forever could end up being the next twenty-four hours just as easily as, if not easier than, the next twenty-four years.

But Buffy knew Faith wasn't the type to get married, even though Buffy was. If they ended up married, it would be because Faith knew Buffy would want to, not because Faith wanted to. But Buffy wouldn't let that happen.

"Faith?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah?" Faith replied slightly sleepily, though it was just relaxation from the events of the shower.

"I think we need to talk." Buffy said, and Faith tensed up.

"About what?"

"Us."

Faith sat up again and looked at Buffy, worriedly.

"Don't worry about it." Buffy said. "I don't want this to be a tense-up kind of conversation."

"Okay..." Faith relaxed a bit, but was still tense. "What is it?"

"I know you're not exactly the marriage type. You've never wanted some big white wedding or anything, have you?" Buffy asked, but it wasn't exactly a question.

"Where's this coming from?" Faith asked.

"Well, I've just been thinking. When I picture our future together, I never imagine us married."

"Is that... bad?" Faith asked, tensing up again.

"No. We're still together. I just never imagine the rings on our fingers. I guess... what I mean to say, is that I already consider us married, in a way, I guess."

"What?"

"I mean I don't need the wedding to be happy with you. I can be just as happy if we never actually get married, as in legally."

"Really?"

"And I know we've technically only been together a few days, since you were in a coma for eight months, so it's a little early to be getting into this deep 'How do you see us in the future' talk. I just thought I'd clear that up now so you're not feeling pressured to pop the question later."

"Really?" Faith started to relax more, and a smile formed on her lips.

"Really."

"I... I don't know what to say. And you're not... disappointed... about this?"

"No. Isn't that wierd? I think if things had been different, if I'd been with a guy, or even any other girl, I would be. I'd actually be kind of angry, and I'd definitely expect to get married in the future. But with you... I don't know, I just feel... perfectly happy the way things are. Like I don't ever want this to change. I mean, we could end up engaged still, but I just don't see a wedding. I can't imagine calling you my wife, and I can't imagine you calling me yours. Fiancé does have a nice ring to it, though."

"So I still have to pop the question?" Faith joked.

"Nah. Just slip a ring into a bowl of soup or something, and we'll call it even." Buffy joked back. Then, she got serious. "I'm just curious... And I don't expect an answer, like I said, I'm just curious. Do you ever picture a future together?"

"Yes." Faith didn't even hesitate.

"Really? Wow. That was quick. What do you see?"

"You really want to know? You might not like parts of it."

"That's okay. I want to know what you see."

"Well, I'm a bit of a pessimist sometimes, and this is no exception. After all, we help save the world, we fight evil, we save millions of lives at least once a year, why should we be happy?"

"Right. So what do you see?"

"It's kind of grim, but here goes nothing... Well, I see us like we are, right now, only I'm the one with you in my lap, obviously."

"Obviously." Buffy chuckled, wondering what's so grim about that.

"We're a bit older, but not really old, like G-man or your mom. We're, like, _maybe_ thirty or something. We go out on a date. We're alone, just the two of us, and we go out to a movie. Of course, it's the anniversary of the day we first kissed, so it's a romantic movie. Some chick flick I can't stand, but you're absolutely in love with it, because you like that romantic crap."

"Well, thanks, you charmer." Buffy said sarcastically.

"Anyway, it's really just an excuse for me to hold you close. I seem to find a lot of those as we get older together. We watch the movie, the guy gets the girl, you cry a few times at the really dramatic parts, and I even shed a few tears, but I don't let you see them, and we leave. We're on our way to a restaurant when we see some innocent couple getting attacked by a small group of only eight or nine vamps in a dark alley. We go total badass mode on them, and they try to run away, and the couple is saved. We follow the group back to a cemetary, and we have this big fight with them, but of course we come out on top. There are about ten piles of vamp dust around us, because a couple more showed up during the fight, looking to take down the Slayers when they're distracted.

"It didn't work, though. After the fight, we're both horny, so I push you up against a crypt and I make you scream my name. Then, once you've come down, and relaxed again, you flip us around and haveyour way with me."

"Still not seeing the grimness. So far, I'm _really_ liking this fantasy." Buffy said with a smile.

Faith smiled, but there was a hint of sadness. "This fantasy is about to become a nightmare, though. Anyway, you finish with me, and we kiss. It's deep and passionate, but then I see something. I look and see a vampire running for us, with his game face on. I turn us around so it's my back facing him, and I figure I'd just get you out of the way so I can take this vamp on my own, but he's faster than I thought, plus my head is a bit cloudy from what you'd just done to me. I turn around just in time for him to get his teeth in my throat."

Buffy's eyes were now watering at the thought. _Faith was right. I'm not liking this._

"You're too stunned to do anything about it, and he kills me. You recover in time to kill him, but I'm already gone. I can see you leaning over me, crying, and I want to tell you not to cry, that I wouldn't change a single thing, that I'm glad it wasn't you lying on the ground, but my mouth won't move, and you won't stop crying." Faith couldn't continue. She couldn't finish it. This had all come to her in one of her dreams while she was in a coma, but it really stuck with her. Faith found herself crying about it.

"Faith... please tell me this was just you're imagination running wild, imagining the worse case scenario, not, like, some kind of Slayer vision."

"I can't. Because I don't know. I can't tell if it was just a dream, or a vision of the future. But god, I hope it wasn't a vision. But not because I die, but I can't stand to see you hurt that badly." Faith said, then whispered, "You just wouldn't stop crying..."


	10. Chapter 10

Unsupportive

**Chapter 10**

"Well, I'm just glad everything's back to normal." Xander said when Buffy and Faith walked in. He and Willow had spent the night at Giles' while Faith and Buffy "reunited".

"Buffy said you were kinda... you know... amnesia-y when you woke up. That still happening?" Willow asked Faith.

"Um... I guess I should recognize you, too?" Faith joked, though Willow didn't take it as such.

"Oh." She said, disappointedly.

"Nah, I'm kiddin'. I remember... just about everything. Some things are still hazy, like everything that happened that night, and everything that happened when I was in a coma, but I think I remember everyone. I mean, I've remembered everyone I've run in to so far. Unless..." Faith turned to Buffy. "Am I supposed to know that creepy guy that kinda smiled at me when he came walking out of the alley earlier?"

"Who?"

"That guy. Five o' clock shadow, wrinkly, missing several teeth, raggedy clothes, bottle of whiskey?"

"Oh. No, we don't know him. No one really knows him. He's just Creepy Guy."

"Okay." Faith turned back to Willow. "I guess I do remember everyone I'm supposed to. Even you, Red."

Willow sighed in relief.

"That's good." Faith leaned into Buffy, resting her head on the blonde's shoulder, and watched everyone else tense up. "What?" she asked.

"What is it?" Buffy asked Faith.

"Them." Faith nodded her head at GIles, Xander and Willow. "They kinda flinched when I leaned into you."

"Why?" Buffy asked them.

"Well... It's nothing, I suppose... It's just... we're not accustomed to seeing you two being so..." Giles paused, searching for the word.

"Lesbian-y?" Xander offered.

"Thank you, Xander." Giles sighed and cleaned his glasses. "That was _exactly_ the word I was looking for." He added sarcastically.

"I think Giles meant _together_." Willow said.

"Yes. That's it. We're unaccustomed to seeing the both of you being so together."

"So what?" Buffy asked. "You don't like Faith and I being together? Is _this..._" Buffy pulled Faith in for a deep kiss, which was happily returned.

"A problem?" Buffy finished when they pulled apart.

"Well... no... Not in... not in so many words... no." Giles said nervously. "It's just... perhaps you could refrain from... that... around everyone.

Buffy glared at him.

"J-j-j-just f-f-for the t-t-time being, of c-course." Giles stammered. "Merely until it has sunken in that the two of you are... together."

"I don't believe this." Buffy sighed. "You know, I'd have thought my _friends_ would be supportive of me in this. God knows I can't count on my own _mother _to accept and support it."

"B, it's okay." Faith said, wrapping her arms around Buffy's waist.

"No it's not, Faith. It really isn't." Buffy turned back to the others. "You know, if you had a problem with us being... us, you should have said something before."

"Well, we didn't know about it until Faith got shot." Xander retorted. "And I thought I made it clear where I stood on the whole _Fuffy_ thing then."

"I thought that was a first reaction!" Buffy shouted, and Faith tried desperately to calm her down.

"B, just-"

"After that, you were all supportive and shit, and trying to help find whoever shot Faith, so I thought you got used to it! Silly me! I thought my _friends_ had my back!"

"Buffy, j-just, let's be-" Giles tried to calm her down, too. Willow sat on the side as an observer.

"And Willow!" Buffy turned to the redhead. "I expected more from you! How dare you get all wierded out on me for being gay, when you yourself are gay?! How could you be such a damned hypocrite?!"

"Leave Willow out of this, Buffy!" Xander yelled.

"Why?! Is it _okay_ for Willow to be gay, but not me?!" Buffy yelled back at Xander.

"B, just, calm down, okay?" Faith started trying to pull Buffy away

"Hey! For all we know, Willow might have just been saying that to cover for you! I don't remember ever seeing _her_ all lovey-dovey on another girl!" Xander retorted.

Willow decided it wasn't fair for Buffy to be getting all the lezbo crap, so she decided to prove her point. She got up and walked over to Buffy, and just when Xander thought she was going to slapthe blonde, she pulled Buffy in and kissed her.

The room was so silent, they could have heard a mouse squeak next door. Everyone was too stunned to react, even Buffy and Faith. Finally, Faith recovered first, and she pushed Willow away from Buffy while tightening her arm around Buffy's waist.

"What the hell, Red?!" Faith yelled. Giles dropped his glasses in surprise, and they shattered on the ground, the sound snapping everyone out of their confusion.

"Will... what?" Xander mumbled. Giles cursed under his breath and started picking up the shards of glass.

Buffy instinctively put her left arm around Faith without even realizing it, and Willow's heart broke seeing the action, feeling extremely rejected.

Faith tore away from Buffy and went after Willow.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! B's mine, got it? _Mine!_ You just keep your grubby mitts offa her!" Faith was yelling, and Willow was backing away, trying to escape.

Neither Buffy nor Xander knew which side to take, so they went back to arguing between themselves.

Giles finished cleaning up and poured himself a drink as he listened to the yelling and screaming.

Finally, the Watcher stood up and started yelling for everyone to calm down and talk it out rationally, but no one was paying any attention.

Everyone was yelling and screaming, not really listening to anyone.

Finally, there came a knock on the door, and Giles went to answer it. It was the police.

"Hello, are you Mr. Rupert Giles?" the officer asked.

"Y-y-yes I am." he stammered in reply.

"Well, your neighbor just called in complaining about screaming coming from this house. As you can see..." the officer stepped aside so Giles could see the street, "whatever you're doing in here is keeping people up. If you don't keep the noise down, I'm going to have to take you all downtown."

"Yes, officer, I understand. Unfortunately, we seem to be having some sort of crisis at the moment, so I don't see this being resolved any time soon. I will do my best, however. If I could just borrow your megaphone for a moment, I might be able to do something about the noise." The officer hesitated, but Giles looked like he knew what he was talking about, so he went back to his cruiser and gave Giles his megaphone.

"Thank you officer. Now, if you'll instruct everyone to cover their ears..." The officer did as Giles advised, then covered his own ears.

Giles aimed the megaphone inside then whistled into it, a very high-pitched whistle, and the megaphone amplified the sound. Xander, Buffy, Willow and Faith all recoiled, screaming in pain one time as they covered their ears.

Giles handed the megaphone back to the officer.

"Thank you." He said. "Now..." He turned back to the others. "Let's all just sit down and talkabout this rationally, because otherwise, we'll be arguing behind bars."

Giles apologized to the crowd outside as he went in and shut the door.

"Now, I suggest we all talk one at a time, and sort this out as adults." Giles said as he sat down across from everyone else. There was a noticeable gap between Willow, Xander, and Buffy and Faith. Buffy and Faith were the only ones willing to sit near each other.

"Now then, I suggest that Buffy go first. No one is to interrupt Buffy for any reason at all, and Buffy, your voice is not to go above what is necessary to be heard by those in the room. Are we clear on the ground rules for this discussion?" Everyone else hesitantly agreed. "Very well. Buffy, you may state your mind now."

"Okay. Well... I'm not exactly sure how this is going to work, but I'll give it a shot. First of all, Giles, I don't think any of us like being treated like children, which is exactly what you're doing right now."

Giles merely nodded, refusing to interrupt Buffy.

"Second... Faith and I are gay. That's all there is to it. It's not like we just woke up one day and made the decision to play for the other team, and decide to go out and fuck each other." Everyone could tell this part of Buffy's speech was directed towards Xander.

"It started out as a joke, just us messing around with the people at the Bronze. We were kind of high, but not on drugs. We had just finished this massive day-slay. We each took out about twenty vamps, and we were kind of messed up, so the joke probably wasn't a good idea. We were pretending to be gay, so we started flirting with each other like we were actually together, and it got us thrown out of the club. I walked Faith home, and we were kidding around, and one thing lead to another, and suddenly we kissed. It was just supposed to be a joke, but it felt real to us both. We realized that we were gay after that, and that we liked each other.

"I don't know why I told that story, I'm sure I told you guys already, but the point is... I love Faith. We're together, and if I have anything to say about it, we're going to stay that way. I'd really appreciate it if my friends could be behind us in this since my mom is... well, all I need to say is I actually thought for a while that she was the one that shot Faith. I mean, obviously she wasn't, since there's no way she'd have had time, but I thought she was for a while. Enough said. Willow, I get that you... you know... you like me, and all, but I'd rather we just stayed friends. I mean, like I said, I love Faith, and I don't see that changing any time soon. I'm sure you'll find... someone, whether it's a girl, or you go back to guys after all. You never know. But you'll find someone. I... um... I guess that's all I need to say." Buffy sat down and looked Faith in the eye for a while, until they ended up kissing again, and Willow had to admit, she'd never seen either of them so happy.

"If I may say something..." Giles stood. "And please don't think, Buffy, that I was ignoring everything past this point in your little monologue, I was listening. But in my opinion, you four were acting like children in refusing to talk things out rationally, and therefore, the only way to settle this was by treating you like children. I apologize if it angered you, but it was the only thing I could see to do that might resolve things. Now, Faith, why don't you go next?"

"Fine by me. Red, I get that you got the hots for B, and I understand, 'cause I got 'em, too. So I can't say I blame ya, and I'm not mad at ya for bein' into her. But just don't go tryin' to tongue wrestle with her, will ya? I don't appreciate it. That's all I gotta say." Faith kicked her feet up and propped them up on Giles' table, much to his displeasure, but he said nothing.

"My turn?" Willow asked Giles, who nodded. "Okay. First of all, Buffy, I disagree. Not about what you said to me or Xander, I agree completely with that. I mean about what you said to Giles. I think what he did was very smart, and I agree that it was the only way things could have been settled. Faith, I'm sorry for kissing Buffy. I wouldn't have done that if I didn't think I needed to prove something. Xander was going off on Buffy for being gay, and she was catching all of it, which, not cool, so I thought I'd let him know 'Hey, I actually am gay now. I wasn't mistaken or anything. I'm totally with the gayness, too.' That's all. But, I'd be lying if I said I didn't at least somewhat enjoy it." Willow fell silent and looked at Xander. "Guess it's your turn, now, buddy."

"Fine. Buffy... You're one of my best friends... Hey, you're actually one of my only friends. So, please, don't take this the wrong way, but I can't support something I don't believe in. Being gay is just... wrong." Xander just got up and left without another word.


	11. Chapter 11

Unsupportive

**Chapter 11**

Faith could feel the rage coming from Buffy in waves, she was so steamed her tears were practically evaporating as she shed them. Faith moved a little closer to Buffy and wrapped her arm around the blonde Slayer.

"It's okay, B. It doesn't matter." She said, though she knew Buffy was going to snap back at her for saying that. It _did_ matter. It mattered to Buffy.

Surprisingly, Buffy didn't snap at her.

"Yes it does." Buffy said softly. "It matters. Xander, he's... he's one of the only people I can call my friends. Angel, Willow, Giles and Xander. That's it. I have a grand total of four friends. And none of them have actually come out and said that they support me... support _us_. It... it hurts."

Faith sighed and nodded. "I know. Believe me, I know how ya feel, B. But I'm not gonna let it get to me. If they won't support us bein' together, I say screw 'em. Who needs them? I love you, Buffy. You love me, that's all that matters, and I'm not gonna stop lovin' you just 'cause they can't deal. We don't need their approval to be together, we just need each other. And I do. I _need _you. I need you bad. I've never loved anyone the way... Hell, I've never loved anyone. But I love you. God damned, I love you."

Buffy smiled at Faith's words, and smiled wider as the taller woman pulled her in for a soft kiss.

"I love you, too." Buffy whispered when they separated, which, of course, lead to another kiss, this one heated and passionate. Buffy's hands went to Faith's back, under her shirt, seeking the touch of the dark-haired woman's skin. She held Faith tightly refusing to let her slip away even the slightest bit, and Faith returned the embrace.

...

Faith woke up in Buffy's arms, no barriers between them. Faith could feel every part of them touching, and she sighed at the contact.

She didn't dare move, didn't dare disturb Buffy. She was just too beautiful sleeping to disturb. So Faith just stared at Buffy.

_I'm in love._ Faith thought. _I'm in love. I'm in love._

She just couldn't get her head to wrap around that thought. Before coming to Sunnydale, she'd never really cared about anyone but her Watcher. Diana rescued Faith from a very bad situation, and had taken care of her up until she died at the hands of Kakistos. Before Sunnydale, Diana was the only one Faith had ever cared about.

Now Faith had an entire family, and a girlfriend on top of that. It was a lot to process.

_I, Faith Lehane, am in love. And I'm in love with a girl. I'd never, in an eternity, have ever thought this would ever happen. I'm... happy._

"Deep thoughts for so early in the morning." Buffy startled Faith out of her daze.

"What?"

"You looked like you were thinking very hard. Bad Faith. No thinking this early in the morning."

Faith smiled and kissed Buffy. She just couldn't get enough of the blonde.

"Good morning." Faith sighed as they separated.

"Definitely." Buffy agreed, grinning sleepily as they stared into each other's eyes.

Finally, Buffy broke the silence.

"Well, as much as I love having your smell all over me, and the smell of having made love to you, I think we both need a shower before we meet up with the gang."

"Before we do that..." Faith wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"I was thinking the same thing." Buffy replied.

"Breakfast." They said simultaneously, then laughed.

Buffy got up and started to get dressed, but Faith walked up behind her and grabbed her wrists.

"Hell no." Faith scolded. "No way you're putting those on right now." Faith took Buffy's clothes away from her and threw them in her washing machine.

"They need to be washed, anyway." Faith said.

"Really? 'Cause for a second, I thought you were just looking for an excuse to keep me naked." Buffy winked.

"Would I do that?" Faith asked innocently as she walked over to the small section of the tiny apartment she called the kitchen. "What do you want?" Faith asked.

"You."

"Yeah, I want you, too. But I'm talkin' food. Waddya wanna eat?"

Buffy smirked as she gave the same answer, and watched Faith shiver.

Faith moaned at the thought, then looked back at Buffy, seeing her shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Damn. That does sound good." Faith muttered under her breath. She looked back into the fridge and spoke loud enough for Buffy to hear. "Okay, breakfast. What sounds good: bacon, eggs, ham, biscuits, toast or cereal? And you have to choose from those options, 'cause I don't have anythin' else, and if we went with your suggestion, we'd definitely be late for the little meeting Giles is expectin', and he's not gonna be happy."

"I don't care. I know what I want." Faith jumped as Buffy's voice came from directly behind her, hitting her head on the fridge.

A long stream of curses escaped Faith's mouth as he held her head in pain.

Buffy moved out of Faith's way and chuckled as the taller woman stumbled around the kitchen, looking for a place to sit down.

Finally, she found a spot and she took it, hunching over and holding her head as the curses continued.

When Faith finally calmed down, Buffy knelt in front of her, trying hard not to laugh.

Faith saw the struggle in Buffy's eyes, and suddenly burst into laughter herself. Buffy didn't hesitate, she just joined Faith in laughter.

Of course, eventually, laughter turned to moans as they pressed against each other, and Faith ended up lying on her back on the ground, Buffy's bare body laying between her legs, and inching down, her stomach, then her chest rubbing down on Faith's aching sex the whole way.

Faith felt Buffy's tongue teasing her entrance, and moaned loudly as the teasing ended just as soon as it began, and Buffy's tongue pushed inside her sharply.

Buffy stuck to quick, short thrusts, pushing Faith to the edge, but never over. Faith's hands found their way to the back of Buffy's head, holding her where she was, pushing her into Faith's sex harder as the raven Slayer began grinding against Buffy's face, moans nearly turning to screams.

"Fuck, Buffy!" Faith gasped, and Buffy's tongue jabbed into her harder and deeper, pushing Faith past the point of no return. Faith's body stilled, and Buffy's mouth opened as the fierry hot liquid spilled forth from Faith's orgasm.

Buffy drank deeply, not spilling a drop as she swallowed every bit of Faith's essence. When Faith came down from her high, Buffy crawled up and laid down next to her, melting into each other's arms.

Faith caught her breath and pulled Buffy in to kiss her. They both moaned into the kiss as Faith tasted herself on Buffy's lips, and her tongue.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Faith whispered when they separated.

"Yes, but one more time couldn't hurt." Buffy smirked.

"God, I love you." Faith said again just before pressing herself against Buffy again and kissing her even deeper than before.

...

Buffy and Faith walked into Giles' apartment, and he actually seemed excited for once.

"What's up?" Buffy asked curiously, and caught Xander eyeing her arm, which was still wrapped around Faith's waist, and vice versa.

"Find a lead on who tried to do me in?" Faith asked.

"No, I'm afraid not." Giles replied. "But I've recently been looking into that old abandoned bookstore Willow mentioned here a while back, and it seems to be in a prime location for business. The margins for profit the owner acquired are remarkable!"

"So you're happy for the dead guy?" Buffy asked.

"No, no of course not. Tragedy, his death. But I believe that, with my unemployment problem, I'll need to find a source of income soon, and I believe this may just be the blessing from the Powers That Be that I've been hoping for."

"Well, good for you, G, but I'm still a bit antsy to find out who the hell tried to kill me, and why."

"Well, unfortunately, it's up to us completely. The police have stopped the investigation." Giles sighed, cleaning his glasses with a handkerchief.

"Yeah. That bites." Faith agreed.

"Wait a second..." Buffy said out loud.

"What is it, B?"

"I think I may have an idea."

"What?" Giles asked.

"That first night. We were drunk, so I didn't think about this sooner, plus you were in a coma, but back at the Bronze, when we were acting like we were together, just before we actually got together. I think I remember someone... I don't know... um, I think someone called us something... dykes, I think it was, and she said it in a way that seemed very insulting. She seemed angry that we were gay, or at least that she thought we were, even though we actually are, but didn't know it at the time."

"Damn." Faith said. "But that's been more than eight months!"

"Yeah, but I dont think that would matter. I want to try something." Buffy took off out the door, and everyone followed her.

She stopped outside the Bronze. The windows were closed, and no light escaped through the blinds. The neon lights were off, and the door was locked.

"Good. No one's here yet." Buffy said as she turned the doorknob. The lock broke under her Slayer strength, and they all walked inside.

"Buffy, if you're trying what I think you're trying," Giles began, "Then you should know it will work differently than last time. For one, it was nearly eight months ago that it happened, and the last time you did this, you were only looking less than twenty-four hours prior. Two, this will be both your memory as well as Faith's, so if you do manage to make it work, you'll not only be an observer, you'll actually relive the experience. However, your mind probably won't be as clouded, because of the lack of alcohol in your system, so you should be more aware of your surroundings."

"What?" Faith asked. "What's he talking about?"

"After the first time I visited you in the hospital, I went back to your apartment and watched your memory of that night. The conversation you had with me, then Willow, then..."

"Oh my god." Faith said softly and embraced Buffy as she realised what she'd seen. "You saw me get... You saw what happened." Faith cursed under her breath.

It had hurt getting shot, you know, for a few seconds before she blacked out, but Buff had had to watch it happen, unable to do anything to stop it, because it was just a memory.

"I... I'm okay now." Buffy said, pushing Faith away slightly. "I mean, it hurt, watching it happen. It hurt like hell, and I felt like I wanted to die right then and there. But I'm fine now. You're better now, I've got you back... I just need to find who did it. Anyway, it seemed to be triggered by standing in spots that were important to the memory, like standing in the spot where we fell asleep beside each other on the floor. Then standing in the spot where you'd gotten shot, that triggered the memory of that night. The entire memory. Anyway, I figure if we can find an important spot in here that's related to the memory I need to see, then I might be able to pay more attention to who gives us dirty looks, and maybe we can find out who might have shot you."

Faith nodded.

"Well, let's retrace then. Um..." Faith looked around the empty club. "I think we were sitting over here." Faith sat down at one of the tables, then looked over to the dance floor, remembering the view she'd had of it.

"No, wait." She said, moving over to a table just on the other side of the one she'd been at. "It was this one." Buffy nodded and joined her at the table, sitting down.

"Okay... Wait, we need to switch seats." Buffy said, and they did.

"Okay, yeah, this is right."

Giles, Willow and Xander stood back, watching the two.

"Okay... Now, just imagine what happened that night, as much as you can remember, and try to actually see it. That's what I did when I triggered the vision before." Buffy explained, and Faith nodded.

"So what? Just say what I remember saying then, and it'll just happen?"

"Maybe not at first, but that's what happened with me. Only, I got lucky. Since I wasn't there when it all happened, I had to imagine what you did based on what I know about you."

"Then you must know me pretty well." Faith said, surprised.

"Guess so. So, um, I think you started talking first when we got here?"

"Yeah. Um, let's see... We went out and day-slayed a nest of vamps, easy job, just got the blood flowin'. Then, we both went home, but I got bored, so I went over to your place, and found you studyin'. I got you to come here with me instead, blowin' off studyin'. We danced for a while, they had some awesome music, awesome for dancin'. Mostly, we stuck together, and I saw some people eyein' us. That's what actually gave me the idea for our little joke."

It was all coming back to Faith now, and she could almost see it happening... and then it was.

And Buffy joined Faith in her reliving the night.

_They sat back down at the table, out of breath, just in time for a slow song to play. Neither of them were very into slow-dancing anyway. Faith thought back to the people on the dance floor that were glaring at her and Buffy as if they were possessed by demons. _Oh, the irony_. Faith thought to herself as she chuckled._

_ "What?" Buffy asked._

_ "Nothin'. Just thinkin'."_

_ "Penny for your thoughts?"_

_ "Oh, it's nothin'. Just somethin' kinda amuses me, that's all."_

_ "Oh. Okay." Buffy shrugged and started watching the people on the dance floor again, waiting for an upbeat song to dance to._

_ Faith watched Buffy, amused at her expression. She could tell Buffy wa having a good time, and so was she. Both of them wanted to get back out there and dance, but Faith was beginning to think the good music was over for the night. _

Well, if they're not gonna give us some good music to dance to, might as well have a little fun._ Faith thought, with an impish expression Buffy didn't fail to notice._

"Oh, it's nothin'. Just somethin' kinda amuses me, that's all." the Scoobies heard Faith say.

"Oh. Okay." Buffy replied, somewhat disappointed. They fell back into silence for several minutes.

"How long is this gonna take?" Xander asked, bored.

"Xander." Giles warned.

"Well, sorry, but we're all thinking it! I mean, why can't they just cut to the chase?"

"Because they have no control over when their memory will come to life for them. We should just be glad that they aren't reliving three weeks' memories. It has happened before, with other Slayers. Right now, noth Buffy and Faith are not only remembering the exact events of that night, they're reliving them. To them, what theyre seeing is real, and happening for the first time, though since their physical bodies aren't injesting any alcohol, they'll still have the razor-sharp clarity needed to identify any possible shooters."

_"Hey, B?"_

_"Yeah, Faith?"_

_ "You wanna screw with these people?"_

_ "Okay, that's taking this 'bad girl' thing WAY too far."_

_ "No! Screw with them, not screw them."_

_ "Oh." Buffy giggled. She'd had a bit to drink, even though she was technically underage. "Whoops. That makes more sense."_

_ "So you wanna?"_

_ "Sure, what did you have in mind?"_

_ "Follow my lead, B." Faith grinned wickedly. Buffy almost regretted her decision to go along with Faith. Almost._

_ Faith took Buffy's hand and led her out onto the dance floor during another slow song, then pulled her in close. Very close. _

Xander swallowed as he saw the closeness between the two Slayers. It reminded him of the many, many times he'd fantasized about them being in bed together, their naked bodies pressed close together, squeezing everything they could get their hands on, gasping and moaning. The thought brought up one of his favorite fantasies, the one where Buffy and Faith were moaning very loudly as they 69ed the hell out of each other.

_Hey, that kinda reminds me of what Willow said in the library. About Giles being- NO! NONONONONO!_

Giles looked over at Xander trying to scratch his eyes out and raised his eyebrows inquizitively. Willow somehow knew exactly what was provoking Xander's actions, and stifled a laugh.

_ Faith's hands were on Buffy's waist, holding her no more than six inches away, and had Buffy put her hands on the raven's shoulders. They started swaying with the music, and smiling as they watched everyone's heads turn. They could barely stop themselves from laughing their asses off._

_ "Hey Faith?" Buffy said quietly where no one else could hear her._

_ "Yeah, B?"_

_ "I think we should step up our game."_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "Well, everyone's watching us, but not many of them are actually reacting. Isn't that what we're trying to accomplish here?"_

_ "Good point, what do you suggest?"_

_ "You trust me?"_

_ "Hell yeah. This is too much fun to not trust you."_

_ "Okay. Grab my butt."_

Xander suddenly looked up at Buffy and Faith, swaying to the music only they could hear.

"Oh, good one, B." He watched Faith reach behind Buffy and place her hands on the blonde's butt, in plain view of the gang. Xander felt himself growing, but still looked away in disgust. _It's hot to think about, but that's just wrong._ He thought.

"Oh, come on, Faith! You're better than that! I mean _squeeze_ my ass!" Buffy sounded almost disappointed in Faith, but Willow could tell she was teasing. And Willow's breath was getting harsh as she watch both of the absolutely stunning women very quickly becoming very sexual in their actions. They probably didn't even notice it over the music they were hearing, but they both moaned as Faith's grip on Buffy's butt grew tighter.

_"Your wish, my command." Faith grinned, and squeezed Buffy's butt with everything she had. That earned several gasps from the crowd. People left the dance floor, afraid of catching homosexuality._

_ "Okay, that worked." Buffy said with a wink._

_ "Okay, I got something."_

_ "What is it?"_

_ "Trust me?"_

_ "Duh."_

_ "Okay." _

Willow's breath caught, in both arousal and in jealousy, as she watched Faith lean in and kiss Buffy. It was to the side of the mouth, not straight-on, but it was still a kiss. A kiss Willow wished she was on Faith's end of.

"Faith, if we're trying to make these people think we're gay for each other, don't do it half-assed." Buffy said, then kissed Faith for real, on the lips, and they each opened their mouths to recieve each other's tongues.

_Buffy heard a girl near them mutter 'Damn dykes. Someone should rid the world of 'em.' and the guy beside her grunted his agreement. Buffy didn't pay much attention to her, mainly because she knew the joke was working. Everyone else seemed to be agreeing with the girl, sour expressions on everyone's faces except a couple of guys sitting at the bar, pretending to agree, but both Buffy and Faith noticed them sitting _really_ close together, and their eyes seemed to empathize with the two women._

_ Soon, a security guard walked up to them and started to walk them out._

Giles, Willow and Xander moved out of the way as they saw Buffy and Faith walking towards them, struggling with some invisible assailant.

"What's this all about?" Faith asked, smirking. There was a pause, as if she was listening to the assailant's answer. "Oh, come on! That's bullshit and you know it!" Faith sounded angry, but Buffy was trying hard to conceal her laughter.

"You're all just jealous 'cause I got the hottest girl in here!" Faith shouted just as she passed the Scoobies, and she and Buffy were thrown out the door by the memory.

Both Faith and Buffy were holding their heads in pain. Hitting the ground like that had shocked them out of their vision, and in surprise, they both forgot to roll out of their fall gracefully, and instead hit their heads on the hard ground.

"So what exactly did you discover?" Giles asked impatiently.

"Head plus ground equals 'ow'?" Buffy offered.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna agree with B on this one. Ow." Faith grimaced as she hit a tender spot on her head.

"Yes, well, I meant in your vision. Did you discover any likely suspects?"

"Um, I think I saw a few." Buffy said.

"Yeah. The security guard was kinda rough with us."

"Yeah. Plus there was that girl who started the whole 'dyke' thing."

"Yeah. She was a bitch."

"Hey, what exactly did... whoever you were talking to... say when you asked why you were being kicked out?" Willow asked curiously.

"Excessive vulgarity." Faith smirked.

"Ah, so they went with the classic, huh?" Willow asked.

"Um... yeah? Why? Gotten thrown out of clubs before?"

"Recently, yes. Since I've come out, I've been trying to meet someone. Someone... not Buffy." Willow admitted. "And I think I finally have."

Buffy saw the smile slowly spreading across Willow's face.

"But then what was with the whole tongue-wrestlin'-with-my-girlfriend thing?" Faith asked slightly accusingly.

"Oh, that was before I met her."

"But that was just yesterday?"

"Yeah, I went and registered at UC Sunnydale this morning before I came here, and there was also a bunch of clubs getting ready for the year, and one of them was a wicca group. Anyway, I got to talking to one of the girls there, and I... I guess I kind of sensed something special about her. Something I didn't sense from the others. I think the group itself is phony, but I think she's real. And... I got this, like a vibe from her, and I also think she's gay, too." Willow looked so happy, it had been a long time since Buffy had seen Willow rambling happily. "Anyway, I think the next time I see her, I'll ask if she wants to do some actual wicca studying together."

"That's great, Will!" Buffy said happily and squeezed Faith's hand, who also muttered her support.

"Now, back to the matter at hand." Giles said, clearing his throat. "So, basically, your reasons for suspecting these two people is because one of them called you a vulgar slang term for a member of your particular sexual persuasion, and the other threw you out of the club?"

"Yeah, I know, not exactly prime candidates for murder, but I know for certain it wasn't the bouncer. He was a guy. The shooter was female." Buffy said.

"Well, there's still the girl." Faith mumbled.

"The name-caller?" Giles guessed, exasperated.

"Well, she also said that someone should wipe all gays from the face of the Earth." Buffy added.

"Well, I suppose it is the only lead we have to go on." Giles agreed.

Buffy noticed Xander had been very quiet the whole time.

"Xander?"

"What?" He snapped, then backtracked. "Yeah, what's up, Buff?"

"Okay, what was that about?"

"Sorry it's just... I'm..."

"It's because of me and Faith, isn't it?" Buffy accused.

"No!" Xander replied quickly. "Okay, yeah. A bit. But hey, I already told you I don't agree with this whole... gay phase thing."

Buffy was seeing red.

"'Phase'? You think me loving Faith is just a _phase_?!" Buffy asked, her voice a deadly calm. Her fists were clenched, and her teeth were gritting, her jaw tight as she tried to control her rage.

"Well..."

"Xan, I'd think very carefully about what I was going to say next if I were you." Faith warned, obviously pissed as well.

Xander ignored her, though.

"Yes. That's all this is. A phase. Come on, Buffy, are you really going to just give up on guys because Angel didn't work out?" No one saw Buffy move, but there she was, right where Xander had been standing, and Xander was on the ground, his nose bleeding.

"Shit! Buffy!" Faith exclaimed and pulled Buffy away quickly before she seriously hurt Xander.

"Fuck!" Xander screamed in pain. "Damn it, Buffy!" He stood up, still holding his nose. "Come on! You know I'm right, Buff! You're just mad because you had to put him down!"

Buffy started straining against Faith, trying to get back and hit Xander again. Faith was struggling to control her.

"Buffy!" Giles shouted, and everyone's attention turned to the Watcher. He lowered his voice again once everyone was silent. "Come now, Buffy, you know Xander has a valid point. This all started just after you had to... to kill Angel. He died, and you started seeking comfort in the arms of the only other person you thought could understand what you're going through: Faith. You've never shown any interest in any other females, so you must understand our perspective. Not only does sexual relationships with the same gender as oneself defy human nature, but the fact that you've only shown interest in one female your entire life, and it only happened after a traumatic incident such as your having to kill Angel would certainly lead _anyone_ to believe that what you are experiencing is merely a phase you are going through to help you cope with your loss. Now, I have held my tongue on this matter on account of that fact, but since it has lead you to physically assaulting one of your best friends, I must intervene at this point and say that it has gone on long enough."

Buffy was stunned, and hurt. She didn't know if she was disappointed, saddened, angered or just royaly pissed off by what Giles was saying, and her confusion showed on her face. Xander walked around so he was beside Giles, who was apparently taking his side.

"Giles?" Buffy asked.

"I'm sorry, Buffy. But deep down, you know it to be true." Giles didn't take his glasses off and clean them, he just looked Buffy dead in the eyes, showing how serious he was.

Buffy felt her muscles tightening up as she tried to leap at the men, but Willow and Faith were somehow managing to hold her back. Giles didn't flinch, though Xander found himself on his back as he tried to scramble away.

"Buffy, let it go. Let them think what they want." Faith pleaded with the blonde. "It doesn't matter, B. It doesn't matter. This isn't solvin' anythin', B." Finally, Buffy stopped struggling and relaxed, turning to face Faith.

"I'm sorry. You're right, Faith. This won't solve anything. Least of all who shot you. Let's go." Buffy said, not looking back at the guys. Faith followed Buffy away without another word or glance back at the men.

Willow looked back and forth between the Slayers and men, indecision plain on her face.

"Just go, Will." Xander said as he got to his feet.

Will teared up as she hurried to catch up to Buffy and Faith


	12. Chapter 12

Unsupportive

**Chapter 12**

Willow watched Buffy cradled in Faith's arms, tears of anger soaking their shirts. Suddenly, she had the urge to call her possible future girlfriend and talk to her.

"It's okay, B. Screw them. Damn homophobes. Screw 'em. Who needs 'em? We aren't defined by their opinions of us. I don't care what they think. I love you, and that's not gonna change just 'cause they don't like it." Faith was sayin'.

Willow felt like a third wheel, just sitting down and watching the two try and calm each other down.

She decided to leave them alone for a while, so she grabbed her coat and slowly walked out the door, heading for UC Sunnydale. She hoped she'd run into the girl from earlier.

...

Luckily, the girl was looking to get set up early. Willow picked up her schedule from the admin. office, and went up to her dorm room, and found that she was actually room mates with her.

"Whoa. How's this for a nice coinky-dink?!" Willow said cheerily.

"Oh... h-h-hi, W-W-W-Will-low." Tara stuttered.

"How are you doing?" Willow asked.

"Oh... Um... n-n-not b-b-b-bad. H-how are you?"

"Not too bad. I mean, I'm kind of frustrated with one of my friends, but I'm trying to not let him get to me."

"Th-that's g-good."

"Yeah. Hey, you know, I was thinking... That Wiccan group from earlier? Did you get any... I don't know... vibes... about them? Like maybe they actually _are_ witches?"

"Wh-what?" Tara looked scared.

"Oh, don't worry. I actually know about real magic. I get the feeling that you actually are a witch. Not as in, like, a bad thing,or anything, I just mean, like, you actually practice magic."

Tara was inching away slowly, like Willow was scaring her.

"Oh, no! Don't worry! I'm not going to go all Salem Witch Trials on you. Um, I'm kind of a novice, but I actually practice myself. I mean, I practice magic. Real magic. Not, like, magician tricks or anything. I mean, I'm not very advanced. The most I can do is float a pencil with my mind."

Tara seemed to relax a bit. "W-w-wait... y-you actually p-pr-practice?"

"Yeah!" Willow said excitedly. She pulled a pencil out of her backpack. She held it out in her hand and concentrated. Soon, the pencil started to hover and spin. "It's all about willpower and emotional control." Willow explained.

Tara smiled. She hadn't run across another real magic user since her mother died.

"Well..." Willow put the pencil back. "I don't think we're actually going to be doing any real magic in that Wicca group,so I was wondering, maybe, you want to get together some time and... make some magic with me?" Willow mentally slapped herself. That sounded suspiciously like a cheesy pick-up line. "I mean Wicca magic! I mean, do you want to practice some spells together and stuff? Not, like, as in, you know... 'make some magic with me'."

"You r-r-ramble." Tara noticed humorously.

"Yeah. I've been told." Willow said. "Listen, I'm going to try something really wuickly. It's something I usually don't do. I'm going to be straightforward. Okay, here goes. Are you gay?" Willow blurted.

"Wh-wh-what?" Tara started inching away again.

"Um... sorry, that wasn't supposed to come out like an accusation or something. I'm just nervous. But... are you? Gay, I mean."

"Wh-wh-why? Are y-you?" Tara stammered.

"Um... Yes. I... I'm gay. So, I'm not against it or anything. I'm gay, and I have two girl friends... I mean, I have two friends who are girls, and they're together. I'm not sure if they're gay or bisexual, or one of each, I'm not sure, but I am. I'm gay. No guys for me, only girls. Um... so are you?" Willow was close to rambling again.

"Um... y-ye... y-yes. I... I'm... a...l-l-esb-b-b-bian."

Willow sighed in relief.

"Okay... That went better than I thought it would."

"H-h-how d-d-did you th-think it w-would g-g-go?"

"I thought it would be more like, I ask if you're gay, then you ask me, I'm polite, so I answer, I say yes, I'm gay, are you, then you freak out and say no, then try to perform an exorcism on me."

Tara giggled.

"Y-you're f-funny."

"Yeah." Willow smiled. "Um... I know I just met you earlier today but... I don't know, you're probably going to freak out on me now, but... I really like you."

"Wh-what?"

"I... I like you, Tara." Willow confessed, sitting down on the bed across from Tara's. "I mean... I just... I feel so... nervous, but happy at the same time... when I'm around you. I... When I came back to campus this time, I found myself looking for you, hoping I'd find you somewhere, and I was just so happy when I found out you were my room mate. You're going to freak out now, but... it's true. I like you. A lot."

"Y-you do?"

"I do."

Tara looked at her like she wasn't sure at first, but then Willow saw a smile start to appear on her face.

"Does... Does that mean that you like me, too?" Willow asked hopefully.

"I... I do... L-like you. I l-l-like you, W-Willow." Tara said, her grin growing wider as Willow ended up beside her, leaning in to kiss her.

...

"I think we should go to the Bronze tonight." Buffy suggested once she'd calmed down.

"Yeah. I could do with some fun."

"Well, sure, we can have so fun, but I was thinking more like trying to ask around about the girl who was talking about us that night at the Bronze. Maybe we'll get lucky, and she's back."

"Maybe. Well, we got no other leads. Might as well try _something._" Faith didn't sound thrilled.

"What?"

"What?"

"You don't sound very optimistic. I mean, sure, it's not likely we'll find the girl tonight, but we have to do something."

"Why?"

"Why? We have to find the person who shot you!"

"Why?"

"Why?! Why wouldn't we?!"

"I just don't really care, that's all. I got shot, so what? I'm still alive. I survived."

"Barely!"

"But still. I survived. And even if we _do_ find out who shot me, there's always gonna be homophobes out there willin' to do anythin' to wipe gays off the planet. Includin' killin' us. I'm not just gonna hide us, but there's really no point in trackin' down everyone who ever threatens us 'cause we're gay. I say, just let it slide this time. We'll be more careful from now on, and if it happens again, we'll get whoever the person is that's doin' this."

"Faith, we can't just quit looking! _I_ can't just quit looking!"

"Look, B, it's not your fault I got shot. I don't blame you. You didn't fail me, and you won't fail me if you give up. The trail's cold now. I'd actually prefer it if you gave up. Please. For me." Faith's eyes were pleading with her, begging her to give up. Buffy fought a war inside herself.

_I can't just give up. I'm constantly going to be worried about Faith, and even myself, if we don't find this person. I can't live in fear like that. But Faith... Faith wants to stop? She's begging me. It's not just a test. I can see it, she really wants me to stop. If I don't stop looking, she'll be the one that's worried every second of every day. _That last thought settled it.

"Okay. We'll stop." Buffy said, and Faith's body relaxed in relief, then tensed up again. _She doesn't believe me._ "I mean it. No more looking. But if this ever happens again, I'm going to find her. And I'm going to kill her. I'm not dealing with the police anymore. If I find out who tried to kill you, I'm going to kill her, and it's going to be painful. And I'm going to sleep like a baby afterwards."

"B... You don't want to kill anyone."

"Oh, believe me. I do. And I will." Buffy's face showed her resolve. There would be no swaying her. The determination in her eyes terrified Faith, yet somehow comforted her as well. Buffy would do anything to protect her, and she had the ability. You know that cheesy line in romantic movies where the guy says, "I'd die for you"? Buffy was beyond that. Dying for someone is easy. Buffy would _kill_ for Faith.


	13. Chapter 13

Unsupportive

**Chapter 13**

"Buffy, Faith... This is Tara... My girlfriend." Willow said, beaming at the blonde beside her.

"Hi Tara, I'm Buffy" Buffy said, holding her hand out.

"Oh, h... h-hi." Tara said shyly, slowly taking Buffy's hand and shaking it.

"Hey, what's up T? I'm Faith." Faith said from where she sat on her bed.

"H-h-h-hi." Tara stammered, then whispered something in Willow's ear.

"Oh, yeah, these are the friends I was talking about." Willow grinned, and Tara relaxed a bit.

"What's going on?" Buffy asked Willow.

"Um... well, I was kind of rambling when I asked Tara out... You know me... And, I may have accidentally let it slip that you two are... also... kinda gay together." Willow blushed, and looked worried that Buffy would be mad.

"Oh. Okay." Buffy said cheerfully.

"Thank god." Faith said, and everyone looked at her. "Didn't wanna freak her out or anythin', so I've been holdin' this in." Faith said, getting up off the bed and walking over to Buffy. She turned the blonde Slayer towards her and kissed her passionately on the lips. Tara giggled behind Willow.

Willow grinned at the blonde and kissed her softly on the lips. Like Willow, Tara was more of a gentle person when it came to relationships, completely opposite of the highly physical and almost aggressive behavior the two Slayers were showing.

"Oh!" Willow said, and the two Slayers separated, out of breath.

"What is it, Will?" Buffy asked.

"Tara, do you know what Slayers are?" Willow asked. Tara shook her head slightly. "You believe in vampires?" Willow asked. Tara nodded violently, suddenly afraid. "Well, Slayers are the guys that go out and kill the vampires so the vampires don't kill normal people. Well, not "guys", because they're always girls, but, anyway, that's what Faith and Buffy are!" Willow said excitedly.

"Jeez, Red, can't keep a secret?" Faith teased, and Buffy smacked her in the chest playfully. "Damn, B, I was only kidding!"

"They're both really strong." Willow added, ignoring Faith.

Buffy demonstrated by lifting one end of Faith's bed up off the ground with little effort. And Faith sat down on that end of the bed as a joke, but Buffy didn't drop it in the least.

"W-w-w-wow..." Tara said.

"Yeah, it comes in handy when we're fighting the baddies." Buffy said, setting the bed down.

"I... I-I'll bet."

"Oh, Buffy, Tara says she wants to help with the search." Willow said, and Buffy did the "Shut-up-hand-sliding-across-throat" gesture. Faith started glaring at Buffy.

"B? What search?"

Buffy was silent, and she groaned inwardly.

"B? Tell me you're not still searchin' for her."

Buffy was still silent.

"B!" Faith growled.

"Okay, fine! Yes, I'm still looking!" Buffy confessed, turning to face Faith, who was red with anger.

"B! You promised!"

"Excuse me for wanting to find the person who _shot_ my girlfriend!"

"B, please, just come on! Give it up! We're not gonna find her! It's been too long! And even if you _do_ find her, who's to say she won't shoot you next?!"

"I'll be careful! I'll be okay! I just don't want her to get away with this! And I don't want her to get another chance!"

"B, it's been almost ten whole months! I was in a coma for eight fuckin' months! She hasn't made any more attempts by now, she's probably not goin' to!"

"Yeah, "probably"! That's my point, we don't _know_ if she's going to try again!"

"Okay, tell me, B." Faith said almost quietly. "_If_ you find her, and _if _you can take her down without gettin' shot, what are you gonna do after? The cops aren't lookin' anymore! They were never lookin' for an attempted murderer! They were lookin' for a burglar! And they didn't even try hard for _that_ when they found out I'm a lesbian! It's too late now to get her thrown in prison for tryin' to kill me! And even if it wasn't, there's no way they'd do anythin' more than give her a few months, maybe a year, and let her out after a month or two on good behavior! Basically a slap of the fuckin' wrist. There's no point! What are you gonna do? You gonna _kill_ her?"

Buffy fell silent. Faith's eyes grew wide, and Willow and Tara gasped.

"You... You've thought about that... haven't you...?" Faith asked, shaking.

"Yeah. I've thought of every single bit of that. And I've come to the same conclusion you have, Faith." Buffy whispered.

"B? You... You're not... You're not gonna... You're not gonna... gonna _kill_ anyone... are ya?" Faith said, shaking bad. She walked over and rested her hands on Buffy's chest.

Buffy was silent again.

"You... You're not a-a _killer_, Buffy... You... You can't _k-kill_ anyone... It... It's not right..." Faith was whispering now.

"You know that phrase that's in all those movies?" Buffy asked. Faith looked into her eyes, confused. ""I'd die for you" That's what the guy always says to the girl."

"What are you talkin' about, B?"

"I'm saying... I'm beyond that. I wouldn't just die for you, Faith. I'd kill for you. I _will_ kill for you. _When_ I find the girl who shot you... Not "if"... _When_ I find her, she's not going to have the _chance_ to shoot me. Because she'll be dead. And I'll sleep much better afterwards." Faith saw something in Buffy's eyes. There it was, just a little sliver of it, but it was there. Insanity. Buffy was literally going insane.

"B... just let it go... Please... Look, we don't have to stop lookin', okay? Just... I... I'll help, okay? Just... promise me you won't... _kill_ her... Promise me... Please?" Faith's shaking was getting worse. For the first time, she was actually _afraid_ of Buffy.

And Buffy wouldn't speak. She wouldn't promise not to do it. Not to _kill_ a human.

"I can't promise that, Faith. I love you too much to take the chance that she'll try again. I'll protect you with everything I have to protect you with. If that means I'm going to have to get my hands dirty and kill someone, then damn it, I will."

Faith backed up, trying to put a little distance in between her and Buffy. "I... I think you should leave, B." Faith said reluctantly. Buffy flinched, but did as Faith said. She tried to lean over and kiss Faith before she went, but Faith flinched away from her.

So Buffy left, hurt and angry.

And Faith curled up on her bed and cried, right in front of Willow and Tara.

...

"It's unnatural, is what it is." Xander said. Giles rolled his eyes. The boy had been prattling on for ten minutes about it, and while Giles agreed with him on the subject, he was still very tired of hearing about it.

"Yes, Xander, it is. Now, please, I beg of you, shut up." Giles begged.

Xander ignored him. "I mean, come on! It's... It's... disgusting!"

"Then for the love of God! Stop talking about it!"

"How can they even stand it?!"

"Bloody hell." The Brit sighed under his breath. "If you find it so appalling, then please, just change the sodding channel!" Giles pointed to the remote in Xander's hand.

Xander sighed and hit a button. The show went from some game show where people had to eat disgusting things like bugs to a Hallmark movie. "A Father's Choice?" Xander read from the channel guide.

He sighed, and was about to change the channel when sonmething caught his eye. "Hey! That looks kind of like Dawn!" He exclaimed, pointing to Kelly McClain. Giles opened his eyes, and looked towards the telly.

"Hmmm..." Giles said, squinting at the tv. He took his glasses off, the put them back on, and repeated several times, then sat back. "No, I don't see it."

Xander was quiet for a minute, then exclaimed, "Come on, look closer! That _so_ looks like Dawn."

Giles sighed and looked again. "No. No. No. I see nothing even remotely resembling Dawn."

"It's cause you're blind." Xander muttered under his breath.

"But not deaf." Giles growled, and Xander yelped in surprize.

Ever since Buffy, Faith and Willow left them at the Bronze, Xander had been constantly over at Giles' house, and the two just hung out all day, arguing about whatever struck their fancy. It was something to pass the time with, even if Giles did find it nearly unbearable.

"You think Buff and Faith have changed their minds yet?" Xander said out of the blue. "I mean, it's been almost a month."

"Have they spoken to you on the subject?"

"No."

"Then they're still ignoring us?"

"Yeah."

"And they haven't attempted to apologize for acting so irrationally?"

"No."

"There's your answer."

"Oh."

...

"Mom, maybe you should call Buffy." Dawn suggested.

Joyce glared at her. "Absolutely not."

"Why not?!"

"You know why not."

"Just because she's gay?!"

"Yes. It's not right! When she comes to me and admits I'm right, and she stops this foolish nonsense, I will be more than happy to take her back and forgive both her _and_ Faith. It's obviously just a foolish teenage phase."

"_Or_, maybe they're actually in love with each other, and you should forgive them so I can have my sister back, and you can have your older daughter back!"

"Dawnie, this is a matter of principles. What she has right now is disgusting, and it goes against the natural order of things." Sighing in defeat, Dawn trudged back up the stairs and slammed her door angrily.

...

Buffy was back at the Bronze again, before it opened. She'd snuck inside and was looking around again.

_Hmm... let's try something new._ Buffy thought, so instead of doing what she normally did, tapping into her own memory of that night at the bronze, she tried tapping into Faith's. She felt the familiar dizziness, and a pulling sensation in her gut, then she was back in the middle of the crowd. Only, she was separate from her past self, she was standing there as her own person, and no one could see or touch her. It was just like the first time, in Faith's motel room.

All right._ She thought. _Where's the girl?_ Buffy looked around the club and saw the dance floor. Everyone was starting to clear the floor, trying to get away from the two lesbians that were practically fucking each other up on stage._

_ "Damn dykes. Someone should rid the world of 'em." Buffy saw the girl that said it and got a good look at her. Past-Faith and Past-Buffy just kept dancing, and the girl that had said it left the edge of the floor and went up to the security guard by the door. Buffy followed her._

_ "Hey, you, security guard, there's two girls up there chasing everyone away with their lesbian skankiness."_

_ The guard looked up at the dance floor and grunted. He went after the two dancers, but Buffy followed the girl over to a small group of very slutty women._

_ "Okay, girls, I got the Slayers out of the club. Now what?"_

_ "Now, we wait." One of the slutty women said with a grin. A grin that showed at least three rows of razor sharp teeth._

_ "Wait for what?"_

_ "We wait for them to realize their feelings for one another, then they'll alienate themselves from their friends."_

_ "So you already know how everything's going to play out, don't you?" The first girl asked with a grin._

_ "Oh yes. I've worked out every detail, then consulted with my own personal Seer to see how each plan would work out. This one is perfect."_

_ "So, which Slayer is the target?"_

_ The razor-tooth bitch laughed. "Both of them."_

Buffy felt the pulling sensation again, and suddenly, she was back in the present. She looked around to see what had disturbed her vision, then she gasped as she saw the razor-toothed girl from the vision, and her world went black as she felt something hit her in the back of the head.


	14. Going On Hiatus

Hiatus message:

I'm sorry to all my fans out there, but until further notice, this story is going on hiatus. There could be a variety of reasons:

A) I'm too caught up in writing one of my other stories, and can't find the time to write this one,

B) My computer is glitching at the moment, and I can't write anything AT ALL,

C) I've got a serious caseof Writer's Block, and can't stay focused enough to write anything,

D) A family emergency has taken up my time, and I don't have time to write at the moment,

E) A vacation has taken up my time, and I don't have time to write anything,

F) I'm just not feeling this story right now, and I don't wish to compromise it by forcing it out when it's just not happening,

G) etc.

Again, I apologize for disappointing you, but I just can't continue this story right now. Don't worry, though,I DO plan on returning to it eventually!


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